ATLA: THE BOILING ROCK Rewrite –ZUTARA–
by AVidZktjo
Summary: Fire-locked trap doors, an impenetrable labyrinth of corridors, and no hope of escaping – this is the Boiling Rock prison. And the Avatar’s gang attempts to infiltrate it in this 6-part story. Will they succeed or be trapped forever behinds its walls? ZK
1. Avatar: The Boiling Rock 1 Strategy

_**Avatar the Last Airbender: **__**The Boiling Rock (1) STRATEGY**_

_Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo_

One night around the fire, Sokka was reminiscing about their journey since meeting Aang. The Duke had asked how they had found the Avatar, and so the whole story was quickly rushing out of Sokka's mouth. He started from the beginning, regaling the group with the good times and the bad, to Zuko's chagrin. And if Sokka left out a part, Katara was quick to add whatever it was that Zuko had done to them at that moment of time. As much as he wanted to explain himself, he decided that it was better to leave things as she wished to see them. She didn't trust him, and he doubted that she ever would again.

But as Sokka reached the end of his story, telling about the invasion and how they had fought Azula, Zuko listened closely, intrigued as to how close they had been to his father's chambers. He had to admit, part of him had hoped that the Avatar would have burst in during his confrontation with Ozai. He wished that he could have fought beside their Gang and taken down the sadistic man right then and there, but things never turned out as Zuko wished them. He was never one to get what he wanted, just what he didn't want – more pain.

Sokka began to describe Azula for Haru, Teo, and The Duke since they had never met Zuko's wretched excuse for a sister. It was quite humorous at times, but suddenly Sokka quieted down and looked into the fire, his thoughts drifting away with him. Katara put a hand on his shoulder and Sokka glanced over at her with a weak smile. Zuko could sense the love between them, and he felt a piece of his heart break. What would it have been like to have a sibling that comforted you instead of torturing you? But Zuko wasn't allowed to think on that thought for very long because The Duke interrupted with the question, "What is it? What happened next?"

Katara took her hand down from Sokka's shoulder as he looked over at The Duke. "Azula told me that she had captured Suki and had put her in a Fire Nation prison."

"You mean that warrior girl you met on Kyoshi Island?" the young boy innocently asked.

Sokka looked back down into the fire as he continued. "Yes. She must have gotten the Kyoshi garments from Suki and some of the other girls before invading Ba Sing Se, and she must have thrown them all in prison or worse." Sokka suddenly stood to his feet, and Katara quickly stood with him. But when she offered a comforting hand on his shoulder once more, he moved away from her. The rest of the Gang silently watched him walk away, except for Zuko.

Katara's eyes followed the firebender's every move, and she almost went after him, curious as to his purpose for going after her brother, but The Duke quickly asked more questions which Aang slowly began to answer, and she found that she couldn't pull away from the group. After Aang had finished explaining what happened with Suki, The Duke asked more lighthearted questions and the Gang laughed and joked with each other once more. But Katara couldn't get her mind off of Zuko, so her eyes kept glancing towards the door, wondering when the firebender would return.

********

While Sokka was telling his tale, the young Kyoshi warrior, Suki is what he called her, kept catching something in Zuko's mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it. She seemed to disappear quickly from Sokka's story, so he paid the thought no heed. But then her name was mentioned again and not just as the Kyoshi warrior, but as one of Azula's prisoners. The memory finally registered in his mind.

On his travels home with Azula back to the Fire Nation, she had bored him with the story of how she had brilliantly infiltrated Ba Sing Se. Zuko had rolled his eyes, not really caring to hear about how she had defeated several Kyoshi warriors, or how she had impersonated them to get inside the city, or even how she had overthrown Long Feng and taken control of the Dai Li, which secured her victory over the Earth King and his capital city. While she had talked, his mind kept wandering to his Uncle, and he kept asking himself if he had made the right choice. So the memory of her story was vague and seemed of no significance. Until now.

As Zuko had walked away from the group to follow after Sokka, he couldn't help but notice the way the room seemed to freeze around him as Katara's glare bored into his back. Her eyes, though a beautifully brilliant blue, could make a man's blood run cold, and he had never felt more cold than when her piercing gaze was centered on him. He had tried for the past few days since he had joined to just ignore her, but his thoughts wouldn't obey him, and he found himself thinking on ways to please her, things to do that would earn back her trust, something that would redeem himself in her eyes.

But this was of no importance to Zuko now. He walked with a purpose towards Sokka, and when he reached him, the troubled man seemed to stare at Zuko with a condescending glare similar to his sister's while Zuko tried to explain himself. "About this Kyoshi warrior…I may know where she is being held prisoner."

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise. "You do? Where? Where is she?" he feverishly asked.

"Azula once told me about her victory at Ba Sing Se. Amazingly, she left nothing out. She told me about the Kyoshi warriors and how they had met up with them in the woods near the village of Shan Aei. Apparently it was an easy battle for my sister, and she walked away with a few captives for my father's favorite prison," Zuko calmly explained.

"So where is it?" Sokka practically yelled at him.

"The Boiling Rock."

Sokka scratched his head. "Oookkaayy…so where is that?"

"Let me show you," was all Zuko said before running off in the other direction towards his room. When he returned, he held in his hands the greatest treasure Sokka could ever imagine – Fire Nation schematics!!!

Sokka snatched them from Zuko's hands and began to thumb through the pages and pages of Fire Nation secrets. But before his wonderment carried him away, Sokka looked up at Zuko and asked, "Why didn't you show us these before? We could have been planning our next invasion already!"

"Because it wasn't the right time. The Avatar doesn't need to think about the next invasion just yet. His mind needs to be focused on learning to firebend."

"But Sozin's comet is coming in less than two months! How long were you going to wait?"

Zuko could tell that Sokka's anger was rising, so he quickly changed the subject to the issue at hand. "Well…you have them now. Do you want to use them to free your friend or not?"

Sokka glared at Zuko for a few more seconds before looking down once more at the stack of maps he held in his hands. The one on top was of the Boiling Rock prison, and Sokka was intrigued by the length and depth that its tunnels ran. How could anyone infiltrate it? It seemed completely closed off to the world. It was then that Sokka realized he would need Zuko's help, so the only answer to the firebender's question could be, "Where do we begin?"

One of the corners of Zuko's mouth tipped up as he took the maps from Sokka's hands and began to walk towards the back of the temple, explaining to the water tribe warrior their means of entrance, rescue, and escape. They spoke long into the night, discussing strategies until only one remained in their minds. It was not going to be easy, but Zuko was sure that the Gang could get inside the prison and free Sokka's friend. And when they did, it would be a chance for Zuko to show the Gang that he was on their side, even a chance to show the masterful waterbender that she could trust him again.

_

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_This story initially started out as just a simple drabble, but it has expanded to a full-length story on The Boiling Rock episodes. This, you could say, is merely the prologue or introduction to it. The next piece of the puzzle will be called THE BOILING ROCK DISCOVERY in which the Gang will go to a Fire Nation village situated next to where the prison is located. There they will enjoy the delights of a circus and make a startling discovery about the history of the war's effects on the airbenders. And then their real mission begins!!!_

_Unfortunately, I wrote this story over a year or so ago when I was big into Avatar and Zutara. I started this story before the episodes were available for viewing so I had a whole other idea in mind for this prison episode. My vision of it was a little more intense, more grown up and realistic (in other words, more like a horribly real, full-scale prison), and involved the whole gang in a huge heist. It was gonna be a great story, and it may still be a great story. I might come back to it someday soon even, but for now it only has two chapters. Read them and review them if you so wish. Thanks! Enjoy!_

_AVidZktjo_


	2. Avatar: The Boiling Rock 2 Discovery

_**Avatar the Last Airbender: **__**The Boiling Rock (2) DISCOVERY**_

_Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo_

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Sokka glared at Katara over his shoulder and answered, "Of course I know where we're going!" Sokka's attention turned back to the maps that were laid out in front of him. Zuko was sitting across from him as they both pointed at the map, apparently debating their landing point.

While Sokka and Zuko argued over which village to land nearby, Aang and Katara were busy bending the water and the air to create a cover for Appa as they flew over Fire Nation territory. Thankfully they didn't have to create a lot of cover given that the early morning was bleak and the sky scattered with clouds. So Aang and Katara were sitting on either side of Appa's saddle, peacefully bending the vapors in the air to keep them hidden as they traveled closer to the Boiling Rock prison.

Toph sat somewhere near Sokka, holding on tight to the sides of the saddle, while the three other boys sat contentedly in the middle, talking of firebenders and blasting jelly.

"You don't understand. We need to land near the village of Chiju. It is the closest to the eastern entrance, and the farther we are away, the harder and more treacherous it will be to cross the lake," Zuko said as he tried to convince Sokka of his plan.

"No, _you_ don't understand," Sokka replied while pointing at the map. "We need to land in Ji Lin because it is a mountainous territory where we will be able to hide Appa and make camp for the night."

Zuko breathed out rather loudly, and Katara could swear she saw steam. "No! _You_ don't understand! We won't have time to make it to Chiju by nightfall. By then it will be morning and our cover will be gone."

"So! We can hide Appa tonight, hike over to Chiju in the morning, and be ready by nightfall the next day!" Sokka countered, getting rather heated in the debate himself.

"No! It won't work tomorrow night! It will only work for tonight! I already explained this to you. The Fire Days Festival already arrived two days ago and tonight is the final night of their performances, and the final night is always the biggest, the loudest, and the most overcrowded. If we need to make a fast escape, we will have a crowd to provide cover for us. Plus, the final night is usually when the prisons are guarded the least because everyone is enjoying the festivities! How many times do I have to say it? We land in Chiju and that is final!"

Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but Katara beat him to it. "Then I guess we should land in Chiju. After all, most Fire Nation villages have some mountainous land surrounding them. Surely we could find someplace to hide Appa."

Zuko blinked and then his eyes grew wide as he stared at Katara. Did she just defend him?

"But…" she started, mischievously staring back at Zuko, "we could have landed in Ji Lin if _someone_ had listened to Sokka and had us leave _yesterday_."

Zuko slumped. Her replies always had a double-edged meaning to them. She smiled hauntingly at him before resuming her graceful bending movements, mirroring Aang's every flick of the wrist. Zuko sighed before turning his gaze back to Sokka. "So, I guess it's settled then. We land just outside of Chiju. I know of some land where we might be able to hide Appa and set up camp. Then we can go to the village and get Fire Nation clothes for the three of them," Zuko continued as he pointed at Haru, Teo, and The Duke.

As much as Sokka wanted to argue with Zuko, he found that he couldn't. It was clear that the firebender knew what he was doing, and Sokka felt helpless in his role as the "planning master."

The rest of the ride to the village of Chiju was uneventful and seemed to drag on for what felt like hours. Aang and Katara had to start alternating so their arms wouldn't get tired. Zuko and Sokka continued to discuss plans for the rescue mission, Sokka disagreeing with Zuko on more than one occasion, even though they had already decided on their route. Katara continued to insert her jabs at Zuko and he continued to ignore answering to them, though each one made him cringe. Teo and The Duke had eventually drifted off to sleep because of their boredom while Haru moved to sit next to Toph in order to discuss anything related to earthbending. The sun was quickly rising in the sky and the clouds around Appa were beginning to disappear just as the Gang reached the outskirts of Chiju.

Zuko pointed out some woods not far from the village, and Appa descended smoothly before coming to a jolting stop in the middle of the trees. The Gang jumped off and in a matter of minutes Zuko had found the perfect hiding place for Appa and Momo. The Avatar's pets sluggishly moved into their little cave while the Gang grabbed everything they would need for their rescue mission and started on their trek to Chiju.

Just before entering the Fire Nation village, Zuko found a good hiding spot for their weapons, and there they waited while Sokka went into the village and bought some clothes for the three young boys. Once all weapons were hidden and all clothes had been changed to suit Fire Nation tradition, the Gang walked together down the hill and into the town's square where a crowd of people were already gathering.

Haru, Teo, and The Duke were instantly drawn to the firebending magicians and jugglers so they scampered away into the crowd after Zuko had reminded them to be back before the sun set. Sokka, whose other passion, unbelievably, was shopping, instantly found interest in some of the booths he had passed while picking up clothes for the boys. Toph willingly went along with him. This left Katara alone with Aang and Zuko. One of them she enjoyed spending time with, while the other she would have rather squashed under her shoe than be alone with again.

Katara partially wanted to grab Aang and run off into the festivities, leaving Zuko to fend for himself, but upon seeing that Aang had started a conversation with Zuko about the nearby firebending acrobats, she thought better of it and grudgingly followed behind them as they walked farther into the crowd. Zuko pointed out some of the firebending moves that the acrobats were effortlessly performing, and Aang was fascinated not only by the bending styles but also by Zuko's description of them. He seemed to hang on every word that fell from the firebender's mouth, and this made Katara angry for more than one reason.

Once Zuko had joined the Gang, it seemed as if Aang had begun to cling to him more for support and advice. Unbelievably, this not only made her angry at the trust that Aang so easily gave to Zuko, but it also made her jealous of their budding friendship. She would never openly admit it, but seeing them together, acting as friends and equals on the same side, unlocked within her a feeling of envy towards their relationship. She couldn't quite figure it out. Something about it just rested uneasily within her. It wasn't that she was fearful of Zuko hurting Aang, a fear that had been proven false after they returned from seeing the dragons, but it was that she hated seeing them so close. But still she questioned herself. Why? Why did she hate seeing them as friends and confidants? Was it because she missed the attention that Aang used to give her? Or was it that she remembered a time when she had shared her deepest pains with an understanding firebender and was now wishing for that feeling of completion to return?

Katara shook her head at the thoughts of absurdity and tucked her arms under her chest, keeping a well trained eye focused on Zuko's back. She may have begun to let go of her grudge towards his past mistakes, but she swore to herself never to trust him again. And so she followed after the boys with a confident air to her step and an angry glare in her eyes.

"Who are they, Zuko? They aren't doing any firebending," Aang innocently asked his new teacher.

Zuko looked to where Aang was pointing and watched as three skilled female acrobats seemed to defeat gravity itself with their movements. "They are known only as the Fire Lilies. Usually there are more of them, and there will probably be a great show with their whole group tonight. Where the other acrobats use bending, this group of ladies does not. They are amazing athletes and they seem to never touch the ground. Some have even said that they exhibit characteristics of the airbenders because they are so skilled in their performances. What do you think? Are they worthy to be given such a compliment?"

Aang turned his attention from Zuko and back to the three Fire Lilies that seemed to dance on air alone. He could indeed see how they would be looked upon as being as skilled as an airbender, but Aang could easily tell the difference by their movements. They exerted too much effort in their leaping, whereas with an airbender, it came without struggle. Aang was about to turn and walk away when one of the Fire Lilies caught his eye. Surely he didn't see what he thought he saw. He shook his head and blinked before the same movement caught his eye again. It wasn't possible.

Aang started to walk forward, and Zuko and Katara followed after him, believing that he was just as equally entranced by the performance as they were and only wanted a closer look. Indeed, Aang did want a closer look but his eyes were focused on one of them alone. His gaze never strayed from the youngest in the group, and he could swear she was not nearly as forceful in her movements as the others. And as he continued to follow her every leap and bound, he noticed something that only an airbender could see. She was jumping higher than the rest by only a mere inch, but an inch that the others could not seem to reach. Aang's eyes opened wide when he saw this, and in an instant he began to see other actions that exhibited the habits of an airbender. She was more agile than the rest, the effort she put forth wasn't as strained, she moved faster, jumped higher, leapt longer. And it was then that Aang came to a startling conclusion.

In a nearly inaudible voice that only Zuko and Katara were centered on enough to hear, he breathed, "She's an airbender."

Both Zuko and Katara moved closer to Aang as Katara whispered, "What? That cannot be. That is impossible. I've never heard of an airbender surviving the war. No one has seen them for decades. Fire Lord Ozai killed them all. Aang, she can't possibly be an airbender. Maybe they are just so good that you can't tell the difference."

While keeping his eyes fixed on the agile Fire Lily, Aang replied, "No, Katara, I know how an airbender moves, and she is one of them."

Katara looked over at Zuko, begging him to tell Aang the truth. But what Zuko said did not ease Katara's mind. "My father once told me that Fire Lord Sozin had burned down every air temple and murdered every air nomad. When I questioned him about the possibility of their survival, I was silenced. But then a day came when a prisoner was brought before my father. My sister and I hid behind the curtains of the throne room and listened in on the punishment for this man. All I can recall is that my father sentenced him to be imprisoned in the lowest level of the Boiling Rock. The man did not seem to be the type of hardened criminal that would deserve such a punishment. In fact, he seemed sad and forlorn, almost kind in his manner. I began to wonder from that day on if there really were airbenders still alive and if the Fire Nation had merely silenced any mention of them."

Aang looked up at Zuko, hope beaming from his gentle smile. "Do you really think that there are airbenders still alive?"

A small grin spread across Zuko's lips. "Yes, I do."

Aang's eyes lit up with such joy that Katara panicked and said to her friend, "Aang, we don't know for sure if they are still alive and we can't cling to false hope. What if she isn't an airbender?"

"And what if she is, Katara? I've been hoping to meet an air nomad who survived this war, and if there is a possibility that they are still alive, then I must find out!" Aang replied while watching the young Fire Lily move about above them. "What if she is that one, Katara? I have to know!"

Katara looked over at Zuko once more, and this time there was no hint of a budding forgiveness in her eyes, only a blazing, hot anger towards the man. But Zuko did not seem daunted by this for after the Fire Lilies ended their performance, he walked confidently beside Aang as he moved towards the tents where the acrobats resided. Unfortunately they were stopped by a rather pudgy, old woman who asked to know where they thought they were going.

"Please, ma'am, I only wish to speak to one of the Fire Lilies. It will only take a second," Aang asked while holding up his hands together in a pleading motion with a look of pure sincerity on his face.

"No. No one gets to speak to the Fire Lilies. They have far too much work to do. Now run along. They'll be performing again tonight," she said before stepping behind the curtains and swinging them closed in front of their noses.

Aang slumped in defeat and Katara put her hands on either of his shoulders for comfort. "It's okay, Aang. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be." Aang turned and walked away, and Katara looked after him, wanting to help.

But before she could even think of a plan, Zuko had stepped up beside Aang, whispered something in his ear, and the two of them disappeared around the fabric of the large tent. Katara muttered about their stupidity as she quickly followed after them. But her steps were too hurried and she bumped right into Zuko. He grabbed onto her arm before she could fall to the ground and then looked her in the eye, brought his index finger up to his lips, and shushed her before releasing his grip. She just glared right back at him and was about to tell the two of them to stop this nonsense when she noticed that Zuko had found a secret entrance into the thick fabric of the tent.

While Zuko knelt, slowly undoing the hidden side entrance, he quietly explained to them that all Fire Nation tents were made with not only the thickest and most vibrant of fabrics but were also unable to be burnt down by a single flame. But seeing as how Zuko was using firebending to open the entrance, Katara quickly questioned how he was able to undo the fabric if the flame could not affect it. Zuko looked up at her for a brief moment and said, "When you are royalty, you learn about certain secrets that others may not know." Focusing once again on his task, he continued, "For all Fire Nation tents there is a secret line in the fabric that can be loosened with a little bit a firebending. It has been used in every design so that the royals can make an escape or so that the guards can make a quiet arrest." Katara rolled her eyes but continued to watch as Zuko slowly moved up the seam of the tent, loosening the fabric bit by bit until a good three feet was open for them to enter.

Zuko was the first to step inside the tent, Aang following on his heels, and Katara trailing behind them both. Apparently they had stepped into a sort of storage room for the Fire Lilies' costumes and other things and luckily there was no one guarding this area of the tent. Zuko moved to the room's entrance and opened the flap just enough so he could see down the short hallway. From what he could tell, there were three rooms to the left of them and four across from them and the entrance was down the hallway in the other direction where another 8 rooms were presumably aligned in a row. Zuko closed the flap and looked down at Aang. "Can you tell which room she is in by using your earthbending?"

"I can try." The young airbender closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the vibrations of the earth moving between his toes. He focused on each room individually until he could feel the slightest difference in the weight of the Fire Lilies' foot falls. There was one of them that seemed lighter than the rest, and he knew it had to be her. "She's in the last room across from us down the left side of the hallway," he whispered, looking up at Zuko with a smile.

A small grin grew across Zuko's face before he peeked down the hallway once more. "There is a guard standing at the back of the tent near her doorway. How can we distract him?"

Zuko looked to Aang then Aang looked to Katara. "What? I don't know what to do! You two are the masterminds behind this plan, not me!" she said, while tucking in her arms and lifting her chin in the air.

Aang looked back to Zuko. "Well...we could start a fire near the entrance but that would only cause a panic."

"No, really?" Katara jabbed at him.

Aang looked between the two of them, confused by their looks of anger at each other, but he didn't have time to think on it at the moment. He moved to the other side of the flap, peeked down the hallway, and noticed that the pudgy, old woman was standing there talking with another guard. Then he saw the jars all neatly lined in a row. Whatever was in them was about to be broken. With a quick intake of breath, Aang blew a gust of wind that knocked all of the jars to the ground, creating puddles of perfumes and spices at the old woman's feet. To Aang's delight, she cried out for the other guard and he came running. The yelling and bickering was soon to follow as the guards hurried to clean up the mess while the old woman sat down to dry off her feet, never once stopping with her orders.

Aang, Zuko, and Katara quickly ran down the hallway and into the last room on the right before the other Fire Lilies could spot them as they came out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. Aang would have laughed at his brilliant plan, but upon stumbling in on the young acrobat and seeing her surprised and frightened expression, he held back on his giggles of delight.

"What are you doing here? Who are you? You shouldn't be in here!" she hastily accused them while her eyes locked onto Zuko's face.

Zuko knew her reaction well. It was one he was never pleased to have when meeting someone new. But Aang pulled her attention away from his scarred face and back onto himself. "I'm sorry, but we just had to meet you. My name is–"

"Look, it's nice to meet fans, but I'm rather busy. I have to prepare for our next show, so if you would kindly escape the way you entered, then I'll be sure to speak with you after tonight's performance," she said with a smile.

"But you don't understand. I know what you are," Aang stated while taking a step closer to the young girl who was just a hair shorter than he.

The girl's eyes grew wide and she stuttered in her reply. "What? You couldn't...no...you couldn't possibly know what...what are you talking about? I'm a Fire Lily, nothing more."

"No, you're much more than that. I could tell. You can jump higher than the other girls. I saw you," Aang took a step closer. "Your movements are that of an airbender."

The Fire Lily's eyes seemed to grow wider before she glanced up at Zuko once more and then bolted past the three strangers, leaving them stunned by her quick departure. But Aang was not so easily surprised, and he took off after her, rushing past the guards and the old woman who was still drying her feet. After Aang's swift exit, Zuko and Katara glanced over at each other before running after him at a slightly lesser speed than his own. By the time they reached the entrance, the woman was already on her feet, yelling at the guards to chase after the intruder. The guards quickly rose, but as soon as they did, they were knocked down by two more trespassers running past them. And all Zuko and Katara could hear as they ran off into the crowd of people was the old woman yelling, "Guards! Guards! Quickly! After them!"

If Aang had any doubts about this young girl being an airbender before, they were all dashed away when she bolted into the crowd. Only an airbender could move at such speeds, and Aang found himself amused at keeping pace with her. She moved just fast enough to where a normal person would quickly lose sight of her, but slowly enough so that the crowd of people would not take heed to her movements. But when she looked back and saw that he was still close behind her, her speed picked up and her tactics changed. She darted this way and that, taking a sharp turn here and another there, trying desperately to lose sight of the young boy who was chasing her. But Aang found her game to be easily won, and he never once lost sight of her amidst the crowd.

He easily drew closer and closer to catching up with her, but just when he thought he had won, she unexpectedly sped off away from the village and into the woods. Stopping in front of the forest, Aang stared up into the trees for a brief moment, letting a smile brighten up his face, before giving chase once again.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara had their own problems as they were being hunted down by two very bittersweet smelling guards. The two of them pushed their way through the crowd before turning down an alleyway where Katara spotted a barrel of water and knocked it over behind her, bringing to life its freezing touch. But Zuko had other plans. Before the guards could even turn around the corner, he had melted her wall of ice with a fire blast, grabbed her arm, and made her keep pace beside him.

"What on earth did you do that for? I could have easily stopped them," she yelled at him, yanking her arm out of his grasp.

"Yes, you could have, but then we would've been found out," he hastily explained to her while grabbing onto her arm once more and swinging her around the next corner with him.

Tearing herself from his grip again, she retorted, "Would you stop that! I can find my own way!"

"Suit yourself," he said as he took another sharp turn, leaving her shocked at his sudden absence.

Katara stopped in the middle of the alley, putting her hands on her hips. "Well...this is just great," she said aloud as she turned around to see where Zuko had run off to. But before she could figure out where he had gone, the guards sped around the bend, and she quickly made haste in the other direction. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid. Now they were only focused on her and Zuko had easily escaped.

The young waterbender tried everything she could to try and shake the guards but they would not give up the chase. She was tempted more than once to just knock over another water barrel, for she had seen many on her run through the village, and freeze their boots to the ground, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Zuko had been right. The risk was too great. So she just kept running, all the while cursing the foul firebender for being correct for once.

It seemed as if the guards were gaining on her, and Katara was losing hope of ever winning at this chase. But she decided to try one more quick run through the alleyways in an attempt to lose them, so she spun off into the dark corners of the village, speeding this way and that. She lost sight of them on many occasions, but they easily caught back up with her. And just when she thought all hope was lost, someone grabbed her arm and swung her around a corner, clamping a firm hand across her mouth. She was backed into an open doorway just as the guards ran past the alleyway.

Katara wanted to scream for all she was worth, but she knew that if she did, the guards would hear her and come running, so she resorted to biting down on the hand across her mouth instead. Her plan had worked and she was quickly released, ready to run out the door, but another hand grabbed her and spun her around, bringing her into the arms of her captor. Before she could start to fight him off, she heard him say, "Don't worry, Waterbender, I'll save you from the guards," and she knew in an instant who it was.

Looking up into the face of the scarred firebender, she couldn't help but spit back at him, "What makes you think I need saving," and she stomped on his foot, making him loosen his grip so she could step away from him.

Zuko grunted in pain at his bruised foot as well as his teeth-marked hand. Katara just stood in the entryway, patiently waiting for him to get over himself. But the bruised firebender didn't give her the pleasure of seeing him in anguish much longer, for within a matter of seconds, he had grabbed onto her hand and pulled her down the alleyway once more, only this time she did not protest.

Zuko lead the two of them down many more alleyways, making sure that the guards had truly given up their chase, before venturing out into the crowds and looking for signs of the young Avatar and his newfound friend. The only thing they saw was a happy group of people enjoying the festivities. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Katara looked past the village entrance and began scanning the trees. And it was then that she saw it, the slightest hint of movement, and she was sure it was Aang. Without hesitation, Katara yanked on Zuko's arm and pulled him along with her as she traipsed through the crowd, past the village entrance, and into the woods.

Aang had never felt so alive in his life. His heart raced a thousand beats a second as he jumped from tree limb to tree limb, following the girl's every leap and bound. She was as skilled as he was, and he knew that she had surely been taught by a master airbender. He even found at times that he was having trouble keeping up with her. She glided through the trees at the speed of sound, never once pausing to catch a breath. He thought the chase would go on forever, but suddenly she came to a jolting stop on one of the tree limbs and Aang ran right into her, sending them both sailing towards the ground which was now over a hundred feet below them. But the Fire Lily had anticipated this, and before they could hit the ground, she had artistically sent a wave of air underneath them so as to slow down their approach, and they both landed peacefully on their own two feet.

All Aang could do for the first several moments was just stare at her, and she stared right back at him, both of them wondering what had just happened. But finally the young girl spoke up. "You're...you're an airbender, too."

Shaking himself out of his amazement, Aang replied, "Yes, I am, but you...you are amazing! I never thought I'd ever meet another master airbender. You're...just amazing!"

"But how did you survive? You have the tattoo of a master airbender. Wouldn't the Fire Nation have already captured you by now?"

"Huh?"

The Fire Lily pointed to Aang's forehead and he realized that his bandana must have flown off during the chase. "Oh, right, my arrow." Aang shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you see...I'm not just an airbender. I'm...well...I'm the Avatar."

"You're the Avatar!?" The young girl's eyes grew wide as this revelation hit her. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that? I'd heard the rumors that the Avatar had returned and that he was an airbender, but I never thought the Avatar would be you. You're...you're just like me. You're a kid."

Aang smiled. "Yeah, that would be me."

The girl took a step closer. "So, you're the Avatar, master of all four elements?"

Aang shook his head in agreement.

"And have you mastered everything yet? All four elements? The Avatar State?"

Aang's countenance suddenly changed to one of guilt and remorse. "No. I'm still learning firebending."

The Fire Lily looked straight into the young Avatar's eyes and then said, "But the Avatar State. You...you haven't mastered it yet, have you?"

The young boy looked down at his feet, but before he could answer, Zuko and Katara came running through the woods to join them.

"There you are," Katara said to Aang while trying to catch her breath. "We thought we had lost you."

"So, you finally caught up with her," Zuko said, while eyeing the girl who was still fascinated by the scar on his face.

"Yes," Aang said, letting the moment pass and his expression change to one of happiness and joy, "I did, but she was a tough one to chase down. I told you she was an airbender!"

The three turned their attention on the young Fire Lily that stood before them. Where before she had looked scared, she was now calm. "So, what is your name then?" Katara was the first to ask.

The airbender turned her attention to Katara, and with a smile on her face, she replied, "My Fire Lily name is Jilaan but my real name is Maliya. I'm named after one of the great master airbenders that once lived at the Western Air Temple, or so my father once told me."

"Your father?" Aang asked.

"Yes, my father." Maliya's smile quickly faded. "He was captured by the Fire Nation when I was eight. I don't know where they took him."

Zuko's brows lifted in surprise. "How did it happen?"

Katara looked up at Zuko, wondering why he had suddenly taken such an interest in the girl's story. Looking back on the young airbender, Katara could see that she was somewhat fearful of the firebender that stood next to her, so she interrupted Zuko's question with an introduction of herself. "Maliya, it is nice to meet you. I'm Katara. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe."

Maliya took an interest in Katara once more. "So you are a waterbender?"

"Yes." Turning towards Aang, Katara continued. "And this is Aang, the Avatar."

"Yes, we've met." The two airbenders smiled at each other in amusement.

Looking to her right, Katara saw Zuko, but she refused to introduce him. Maliya, on the other hand, wanted to know who he was, so she asked, "And who is he? He's a firebender. I can see it in his eyes, but what is one of the Fire Nation's people doing with you?"

Katara crossed her arms. "He's Aang's firebending teacher," she explained with an insulting air to her words.

Zuko looked over at the waterbender standing next to him before focusing his attention on Maliya. "Yes, I'm the Avatar's teacher, and...I'm also the prince of the Fire Nation."

Maliya's eyes grew wide. "You're Firelord Ozai's son? I've heard of you. Everyone is talking about how you betrayed your country and are now an enemy of the Fire Nation. There was even a rumor going around that you joined the Avatar. I guess they were right."

Katara looked up at Zuko. Was it possible that he really had left the Fire Nation as a fugitive and wanted to join them because he had actually changed? Shaking her head, she refused to believe it. There was still so much bad in him, she just knew it hadn't disappeared for good.

"So, Maliya," Aang started, "do you know what happened to the other airbenders? Are there any others still alive?"

Aang looked on Maliya with a glint of hope in his eyes, but Maliya's words weren't encouraging ones. "No, Aang, I'm sorry. I only knew one other airbender and that was my father."

Aang hesitated to ask the next question, but he was so desperate for any news on the airbenders, that he couldn't hold back. "Could you...could you tell us about him?"

Maliya sat down on a rock nearby and the other three sat down around her as she started to explain the story of her father and the airbenders that had gone before him.

When the first attacks on the air temples had begun, many of the airbenders had been taken by surprise and so they were unprepared for battle. But they fought back anyway. They defended their land, but eventually the Fire Nation subdued them, burning down their sanctuaries and temples. The few airbenders that remained flew away on their sky bison, hoping to find refuge among the earth kingdom people.

The first generation of airbenders tried to live among the earth kingdom, covering up their tattoos and assuming normal positions among the people. But the Fire Nation was quick to discover the airbenders and their bison, and many of them were taken away to the Firelord and never heard from again. Amazingly, not all of them were captured. Some of the young children were adopted by earth kingdom families, and they were easily hidden for they did not bear the mark of the master airbender. But those with the tattoos found it increasingly difficult to hide among the people without being discovered.

But some of the masters were skilled in the art of evasion, and they avoided getting captured for many years. These lucky few created families among their own people, producing children that they instructed at an early age about the ways of their culture. These children quickly became skilled in the art of airbending as well as in the knowledge of their culture and history that their parents and the other master airbenders bestowed upon them. They were taught about not only the skill of airbending but also about the many secrets that had only been granted to the highest monks in the air temples. But even after many decades had passed, the Fire Nation was still on the lookout for airbenders, and any and all who were discovered were quickly taken away. Some of the master airbenders were captured; others grew too old and soon passed on to the spirit world, but the children they had instructed continued on with their legacy, producing children of their own and teaching them the same things that they had been taught.

One such child was Hyda. He was taught by this second generation of airbenders, but at the age of 14, he was separated from them and adopted by an earth kingdom family that had no idea about his heritage. He lived in secret among his own family for years, constantly running off into the forests to practice his skills, growing more powerful every day. As the years went on, Hyda grew farther and farther apart from his family until he eventually left them to travel the world. He visited many earth kingdom villages before finally taking off across the sea and towards the Fire Nation. Maliya once asked her father why he dared to travel to the Fire Nation and his only reply was that he wanted to learn more about the war, to know what they were up to, and to understand why they had destroyed the culture of the air nomads.

But what Hyda found was something he never expected. It was there that he met Pae Lon, a young Fire Nation woman, who he later fell in love with. It was a forbidden love, and he knew the dangers of it, but his heart grew so attached to her that he could not bear to leave. So he married the young girl, and many years later, they had a daughter. But this young girl was no ordinary Fire Nation baby. She was just like her father. And so it was at this time that Hyda finally told his wife Pae Lon about who he really was, and because she loved him, she accepted him and their love was made stronger.

As Maliya grew, Hyda took on the role that his own parents had taken. He taught her everything he knew, and by the age of 7 she was already a master airbender with the skills and knowledge of the great monks that had gone before her. But her teaching was not to continue, for only a year later, both Hyda and Pae Lon were captured by Fire Nation soldiers and taken away, never to be heard from again.

"So what did you do?" Aang innocently asked when Maliya paused during her story.

"I joined the circus. I had watched the Fire Lilies for years, and I knew that if I wanted to stay undetected in the Fire Nation, I would have to be a part of them. But I didn't want to give up airbending, so I found that the only way I could do both was to become a Fire Lily. But I also did it for another reason."

"And what reason was that?" Katara asked.

"I wanted to stay in the Fire Nation so that I could continue to do as my father did. It is in the Fire Nation that you learn the most about the secrets of war and rumors of prisoners, so I was hoping that one day I would hear something that could help end the war or even just something about my mother and father. I've learned many things while I've been here, but I still don't know where the airbenders are taken when they are captured." Maliya looked down at her lap. "I wish I did. I would give anything to see my parents again."

Katara moved closer to Maliya and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel. I lost my mother to the war and my father went off to fight the Fire Nation when I was very young."

Maliya looked up at Katara. "I'm sorry. That must have been awful."

"Yes, it was." Katara replied, looking down as she took her hand off of Maliya's shoulder. "Yes, it was."

Throughout Maliya's story, Zuko couldn't help but recall the poor man that had been brought before his father when he was 12 years old. What if he was an airbender? What if they were all being imprisoned at the Boiling Rock? It seemed impossible, but the longer Maliya talked, the more Zuko saw the possibility that his father had sent them all away to the lowest dungeons of the prison. But he didn't dare to speak up for reaching that level of the prison was as impossible as the notion itself. Only a fool would try to go that low into the depths of the Boiling Rock.

"Maliya," Aang said her name, shaking Zuko out of his memories.

"Yes?"

Aang looked in the eyes of Zuko and Katara before gazing back into the grey eyes that belonged to his one hope of ever finding the air nomads. "Would you like to join us on our quest? It would be great to have another airbender in the Gang, and I know everyone would gladly welcome you. So, will you?" he asked with his eyes sparkling and a pleading toothed grin slapped across his face.

Maliya laughed at Aang's darling expression. "Well…I have been traveling with the Fire Lilies for several years now, so, yeah, I think I could stand a change of scenery. Where are we going?"

Aang's smile disappeared. "Actually, we aren't leaving the Fire Nation just yet. We have a rescue mission planned tonight for Sokka's girlfriend Suki." Aang quickly continued when Maliya gave him a questioning look at the mention of Sokka. "Sokka is Katara's brother, and Suki is a Kyoshi Warrior who was captured by the Fire Nation. Zuko has informed us that she could be imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, so we are on our way to free her."

Maliya's eyebrows lifted in puzzlement. "You do realize that that is a fool's errand, don't you? The Boiling Rock prison is the most secure Fire Nation holding facility there is. No one has ever escaped. I've heard many stories about it. Once you're thrown in there, you'll never come out."

The Avatar looked over at his firebending teacher. "Is this even possible then?"

Zuko smiled slightly as he replied. "As my Uncle once said, 'nothing is impossible, there are only less probable ways of making it possible.' Don't worry. I've been inside this prison before. I know how it works, and there is a way to get in and a way to get out. We WILL get in, we WILL rescue your friend, and we WILL get out."

Zuko's confidence made Aang smile wide, and he turned his attention back on Maliya. "There you have it. We're going. So, are you with us?"

Maliya looked from Aang to Katara and finally to Zuko. He might have been a firebender, but there was something about him that ignited the same confidence within her that he showed to the group. He was right. It seemed like an impossible mission, but it could be done. And she wanted to be a part of it. Turning back to Aang with a smile, she accepted his offer. "Yes, I'm with you."

Aang jumped up from where he sat. "Great! We better go find everyone else and let them know about you before we start our rescue mission. So, let's go!"

Grabbing Aang's hand before he could run off, Maliya said to him, "Aang, wait. I can't enter the village again dressed like this. The guards will spot me. I need a disguise."

Katara stood to her feet at the same time as Zuko and Maliya. She walked over to where Maliya stood, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I can help you with that. I'll be right back."

Within a couple of minutes, Katara had returned with a new set of Fire Nation clothes for Maliya, and the small band of friends made their way back to the village in search of the rest of the Gang. After hunting down everyone else and introducing Maliya, they made their way to their meeting place. Before sundown, they had all gathered their weapons and made haste towards the outskirts of the massive boiling lake not very far from Chiju. Through the art of waterbending, Aang and Katara maneuvered a small Fire Nation boat away from the rest and over towards the east side of the boiling lake. But before they could get on the boat and start sailing towards the hidden eastern entrance of the prison, Zuko spotted a large Fire Nation war balloon that was gliding towards the main northern entrance. He recognized the emblems immediately, and he knew they would be facing a worse fear than the guards of the prison. For the emblems were that of Azula's and with her she was carrying the entire Invasion Force. It would not only be Suki that they would be saving that night, but they would attempt a massive rescue, one that only the Avatar and his friends were likely to pull off.

_TO BE CONTINUED in the Third & Fourth Parts of this Story: The Boiling Rock RESCUE & ESCAPE_

* * *

_One of my favorite things about this story was that I explained what happened to the airbenders and created a cool character in Maliya. I miss her already. It's been years since I wrote this, and after reading it again, I'd love to come back to it and finally finish it. But we'll see. Here's a name guide for your convenience in the meantime._

_Maliya (pronounced as Ma – lie – ya or Mae – lee – ya)  
__Hyda (pronounced as Hi – da)  
__Pae Lon (pronounced as Pay – lawn)_

_The next parts of this story were going to be called RESCUE & ESCAPE. I don't know if I'll ever finish them, but if I do, I can guarantee that they will involve a lot more than the actual episodes of The Boiling Rock. The prison that I had in mind was going to be more like a hardcore prison where the prisoners are starved to death and tortured. There is no "playground." They remain in their cells all the time. And also, the prison is guarded not only by firebenders but the prison layout is like a maze and it houses deadly firebending traps so as to keep prisoners from escaping. In other words, it's not your kid-friendly-appropriate-for-TV prison. It's a real prison with death around every corner. A little more intense. But that's how I like it. And just talking about it makes me want to finish it because I had some great ideas for this story and an ending that would make every Zutarian smile._

_But we'll see. As for now, enjoy these two chapters and review if you so wish. Thanks for the input, and let me know if I should continue it._

_AVidZktjo_


	3. Avatar: The Boiling Rock 3 Breach

_**Avatar the Last Airbender: The Boiling Rock (3) BREACH**_

_Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo**  
**_

"Are you sure it's them?" Katara asked Sokka while he was peering through his spyglass in the direction of Azula's docking war balloon. "Is it Dad?"

The rest of the gang could faintly make out the figures of several prisoners being guided off of the war balloon by Azula and her guards, but from this distance their faces were unrecognizable. "Well, Sokka? Is it them?" Katara asked again, impatient for an answer.

After every prisoner had disappeared from sight, Sokka finally lowered the spyglass and looked back at his sister. "It's Dad."

Katara sighed in relief and a smile brightened up her face.

"What about my dad, Sokka? Is Tyro among them?" Haru was quick to ask.

"And what about Pipsqueak?" The Duke questioned next.

"And my dad?" Teo added.

Sokka's smile grew wider. "All of them. It's the entire Invasion Force. Even the Foggy Swamp Tribe."

Everyone on the boat began to smile and whisper excitedly except for one person. "Thing's have changed. We should turn back now." All eyes turned towards Zuko.

"What? What do you mean we should turn back? We can rescue my dad!" Sokka countered.

"But none of you understand this prison like I do. It's a labyrinth. The only way we had a chance of getting Suki out was if she was on the middle level and on the eastern side. If she's anywhere else, we can't risk it. And now you want to free your father _and_ the Invasion Force? This is turning into a suicide mission." Zuko told them all in too loud of a voice.

"But you were the one who suggested this. You were the one who said we could pull this off. Now you're backing out of it?"

"Yes, Sokka. I thought maybe we could free your girlfriend and even possibly the other Kyoshi Warriors, but even that is a risk in itself. Like I said, like I even told you, if she's anywhere other than the eastern side of the prison, we can't risk it," Zuko explained in a lower voice as he walked towards the helm of the boat.

Sokka stopped him before he could put a hand on the wheel. "What exactly are we up against, Zuko? You still haven't told us. All you told me was that the Boiling Rock prison was like a maze, but there's more to it than that, isn't there?"

Zuko looked Sokka in the eye and then his gaze scanned the rest of the expectant group before coming back to Sokka. "Yes, there's more."

The boat was silent as all eyes were fixed on Zuko, waiting for him to continue. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes. "It's not only a labyrinth of corridors, but the whole prison is a trap." Zuko lifted his gaze to Sokka once again, and as he continued, the happiness of the moment disappeared. "We not only have to worry about getting lost in the prison, but after every few cell doors there are trap gates that are sprung as you pass by them. They are hidden and can only be detected if you know what you're looking for. And even if you knew what you were looking for, you'd then have to know the secret firebending combination to disable them. And if you get the combination wrong once, just once, the door is sprung and you're blocked in. And once the gate is locked into place, there's no opening it. It can only be unlocked with a special key. And there is only one key in existence, and it is always with the warden." The gang stared at Zuko in disbelief.

Sokka was the first to speak. "Why would someone make a prison like that? Are they crazy?"

"Yes," was Zuko's immediate response. "It was designed by the warden who worked for Firelord Sozin. The prison was already in place by then. He only added to it, making it more maze-like and impossible to escape or infiltrate. And the secret of it has only been passed down to the royal family and the guards working there. Oh, and I forgot to mention, there are usually over 300 firebenders who guard this prison. We'll be lucky if there are only a hundred tonight."

Mouths fell agape at Zuko's last statement. "Then why are we even attempting this?" Katara was quick to ask.

"We are_ not_ attempting this," Zuko stated as he grabbed the wheel of the boat and began to turn it around.

Sokka quickly grabbed the other side of the wheel and pushed it back the other way. "No. We _are_ attempting this. You said so yourself that you knew this prison inside and out. You said we could do this."

"Yes, Sokka," Zuko said as he pushed the wheel left again. "I said we _could_ do this. But now with the Invasion Force thrown into the mix, not to mention my sister, we can't!"

Sokka shoved the wheel back to the right with a grunt. "Yes, we can! We can figure this out. You said Suki would be on the middle level. And the Invasion Force? Do you know where Azula would be taking them?"

Zuko took his hand off the wheel and let Sokka navigate it back towards the eastern entrance which was just a few yards away now. "The Kyoshi Warriors should be imprisoned in the middle level, hopefully on the eastern side, but the Invasion Force will be imprisoned together in the top section of the prison. They will need to be organized into groups and then put into their separate cells depending on their rank and need for security. But that won't be done until tomorrow. Not with the festivities going on."

"So they will be in a holding cell together. Then we could rescue them all at once!" Sokka was quick to point out.

Zuko ran a hand through his wind-blown hair. "Sokka, you're forgetting that first we must rescue the Kyoshi Warriors. The plan was to free them from their cells and then come back to the boat. But if we attempt to rescue the Invasion Force…it's impossible. We can't fit them all on this boat, and there's no way we'd even get back down into the middle section of the prison let alone back to the hidden eastern entrance. So how are we suppose to escape once we rescue them?"

A mischievous glint sparkled within Sokka's eyes as his smile returned. "Azula's war balloon."

Zuko's mouth fell open at this and he began to nearly shout at Sokka. He tried to keep his voice down, but it seemed only to get louder. "Are you crazy!? That's even more suicidal than trying to backtrack! There are more guards at the top section of the prison, and you're telling me that you not only want to run the risk of trying to free the Invasion Force, but you also want to waltz across the open dock towards Azula's war balloon and steal it out from under her!? You're insane, Sokka!"

"Maybe…but admit it! It could work."

Zuko was about to come back with an angry reply, but he stopped short as he looked up at the war balloon emblazoned with Azula's emblem. Maybe Sokka was right. If by some stroke of luck they were able to free the Kyoshi Warriors and then sneak through the eastern guard tower and up to where the holding cells were and then make their way to the war balloon…ah, but it was impossible. How could they stay undetected for so long? But looking back up at the balloon, the plan started to form in Zuko's mind. Freeing the Kyoshi Warriors should be a breeze. And as for the eastern guard tower that led to the top half of the prison, it could be easily maneuvered. And even then the guard tower would probably be empty because of the Fire Days Festival. And the holding cells were right near the eastern guard tower and then the northern dock only a short distance away from there. Could it work though? Would they stay undetected? Or would something go terribly wrong?

"If we do this…" Sokka immediately began to talk excitedly with the rest of the gang, but Zuko commanded his attention with an angry glare and the anxious chatter ceased. "If we do this, then you have to follow me and do _exactly_ as I say."

"Deal." Sokka was quick to answer as he pulled out the blueprints of the prison that Zuko had given to him. With a quick glance in her direction, Sokka handed the control of the boat over to Katara and she effortlessly maneuvered it towards the eastern side of the prison, slowly bringing it to a stop.

Sokka was hurriedly going through the blueprints again with Zuko as they made their plan more concrete, and the gang silently waited for them to finish. As Sokka folded the schematics and shoved them back under his belt, Zuko looked towards Haru, Teo, and The Duke and said, "The three of you are staying behind."

Spouts of dispute erupted within the gang, but Zuko held up a hand and told them all to be quiet as he explained. "The three of you are staying behind because none of you have bending abilities."

"But Haru—" Katara was quick to defend.

"—is not a master earthbender yet. And besides, we need a smaller group and we also need a group to return to Appa and fly to Ji Lin. If we take Azula's war balloon, we'll need to make haste towards those mountains in order to hide and going back to the Western Air Temple is too far of a flight. So the mountains of Ji Lin will have to do."

"But—" Katara began to argue again.

"He's right, Katara," Sokka interrupted his sister. "We should listen to him."

Katara looked between Sokka and Zuko and then grudgingly folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. But six is still a pretty large group. What's the difference?" Katara directed at Zuko.

"The difference is that five of us have master bending abilities and then Sokka knows how to navigate."

"And fight!" Sokka was quick to add in his defense.

"Then it's decided," Zuko said as he stepped out of the boat and onto the rocky ground that surrounded the prison. Aang, Sokka, Katara, Toph, & Maliya were quick to follow his example.

"We'll catch up to you soon." Katara waved to Haru as he began to navigate the boat back towards the beach. A frown crossed her face upon seeing his sullen expression. She knew he wished he could come, but someone had to watch over Teo and The Duke. She hated that Zuko was right.

"So where's this secret entrance, anyway?" Aang finally spoke up.

Zuko was walking beside the wall, his hand feeling along the metal panels of the prison. The gang was keeping the same pace behind him. "It's along this wall."

"Gee, I could've guessed that."

Aang ignored Katara's comment and asked Zuko, "What's it look like?"

"You won't be able to see it."

"Then how—" But Katara's question was cut short as a panel along the wall suddenly began to glow as if it were on fire.

Zuko hadn't just been touching each panel. He'd been heating them as he walked along the wall, waiting for that one that would glow as it did now. And now that he'd found it, he knelt before it and began moving his fingers along the outline of the door, slowly searing the edges with fire.

While he worked, Aang continued to ask questions. "What's this entrance for anyway? And why is there only this one?"

"There are actually two secret entrances. One here on the east and one on the western side. Both lead into the middle of the prison and they are used for quick escapes. Not that there's ever been one."

"Then why do they have them?"

"It's more a matter of precaution. Both secret entrances are located near the two control rooms for the middle prison. This is why we are entering in through here so that we can get to the eastern control room and find out exactly where the Kyoshi Warriors are being held."

"But are you even sure that they are on the eastern side?"

Zuko glanced back at Aang's distraught expression. "No, I'm not. But given the usual customs of this prison, my guess is the eastern side because usually the western side is reserved for worse prisoners."

"And why's that?" Katara interjected. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and her tone of voice was even rather than irritated as she asked this.

Returning his gaze to his work, Zuko answered her question. "Because the western side leads down into the lowest part of the prison. And that is where the worst of them reside."

"Like the airbenders?" Maliya quickly asked.

Zuko's fingers moved down the last edge of the door, and when the entire outline of the entrance was glowing from the fire at his fingertips, he rose to his feet. Only then did his gaze turn towards Maliya. "If there are any still alive, that is where they'd be." And with one fluid movement, his right hand dug into the left side of the glowing door and popped it loose.

After scanning the corridor for any guards, Zuko spread the door wider and beckoned for the curious group to follow him. They quickly entered in after the firebender and waited patiently and quietly as he closed the door behind them with the seal of the flame. Once he was done, Zuko focused his attention on Aang. "Follow along beside me. I have to teach you the trick about the trap doors in case we get separated."

"Separated?" Katara whispered as the thought began to sink in and a wave of fear swept over her. Peering down the long, dark corridor, she could see now that this prison was one of terror and fear. Getting lost in it would be the worst thing that could happen to them. Instinctively Katara and the whole gang huddled closer together as they followed Zuko.

"Now, Aang," Zuko was whispering to the Avatar as they inched along the wall, "do you see anything out of place? Anything that points out the trap door?"

Aang's eyes roamed the walls in front of him, searching for a crevice or a panel or anything that seemed out of the ordinary. But everything seemed to be in its proper place. There was no hint of a trap door. "I don't see anything, Zuko. What is it that I'm looking for?"

"Nothing. That's the problem." Zuko lifted his left hand to the wall and started feeling along the metal panels and cell doors. His hand seemed to be on fire as he moved, no doubt searching for the trap door in the same manner as the hidden entrance. Suddenly Zuko stopped and the whole gang halted along with him. Zuko removed his hand from the wall and underneath it they could see a glowing Fire Nation symbol. But just as soon as they saw it, it began to fade and disappear into the paneling as if nothing had even been there.

"That's what we're looking for. It will be at this level every time, so you need to keep your hand moving along the wall until you find one. And once you do…" Zuko stepped away from the huddled group and faced the vanished emblem. With both of his hands he quickly shot a combination of small but powerful blasts at the emblem. And then for the final blast he created a ball of fire between his hands and shot it at the emblem, but it didn't dissipate. With one flick of his wrist, Zuko swiftly guided it up the wall, along the ceiling, down the back wall, across the floor, and back up to the emblem where it finally dispersed. He had created a perfect outline of the now visible trap door above their heads. And as the glow began to fade, a faint click could be heard above. "That's the sound of the trap door locking into place. You _must_ wait for that before continuing. And now we need to hurry before the glow disappears altogether."

The gang quickly followed after Zuko as he crossed over the glowing tracks he had left on the floor. After they were all past the trap door, Zuko pointed behind them, and they watched as the glow completely faded. As soon as the fiery tracks were gone, they heard another faint click. "Now the door is unlocked again and ready to be tripped," he explained as all eyes returned to him.

"So if I get that wrong?" Aang timidly asked.

"Then the gate will come crashing down and the path will be blocked," Zuko calmly replied as he started walking down the corridor again, his burning left hand moving along the wall.

Aang's gulp could be heard by the whole group as he continued to follow alongside Zuko's unwavering form. The Avatar's thoughts were nervously running through all the horrible possibilities. What if they got separated? What if he couldn't do the combination just right? What if they all got blocked in? Would they ever escape? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Aang." The Avatar's eyes found Zuko's in a heartbeat. "Now I'm going to count this out for you. Pay close attention."

All Aang could do was nod his head as Zuko went through the combination yet again, counting out the blasts and the seconds in between. "And the final ball of fire," Zuko was saying as he formed the flames into a glowing orb between his two hands, "must be thrown directly at the emblem and then follow the path of the trap door just as quickly as you can." Zuko threw the ball of fire at the Fire Nation symbol and it followed the same path as the first one, dissipating as it came back to the blazing emblem. As soon as he heard the click, Zuko beckoned for everyone to follow him again.

This process continued on through five more trap doors, and Aang became more and more confident in the combination each time he watched Zuko perform it. He had the count and the number of blasts down. And while they walked the corridor, he practiced forming the ball of fire in his hands. Zuko even stopped him at one point and let him run it along the wall. "Perfect, Aang. That's exactly how it needs to be done. I think you've got it." But even though Aang was sure he had the combination down, both he and Zuko decided not to risk him trying it out on a real trap door. It was only a precaution after all.

"We're here," Sokka suddenly blurted out. He'd been looking once again at the schematics, following along with the cell numbers until they reached the eastern control room.

"I thought you said the control room was a short distance away from the eastern entrance? We went through seven trap doors. That was no short distance," Katara directed at Zuko.

Zuko looked back at her and said, "It was considering that this corridor alone has thirty trap doors."

"Thirty?" she asked in amazement. "So what does the whole prison have? Hundreds?"

"Three hundred and forty-one to be exact, and that's not counting the lowest level. There's even more down there and several of them are bunched together. You could get crushed to death if you're not careful," Zuko nonchalantly replied as he moved to stand in front of the control room door.

Katara and the rest of the gang stared at him in amazement.

"When we get out of here, I'm going to find the idiot firebender who created this prison and feed him to a herd of hungry whale sharks," Toph blurted out.

"Not if I do first," Sokka countered.

And the gang quietly chuckled.

"Toph," Zuko suddenly called to her.

"What?" she replied.

"Can you see at all with this metal under your feet?"

"Yes, but it's not as clear as if it were real earth. Why?"

Zuko pointed at the door and asked, "Can you tell how many guards are in there?"

Toph spread her feet out and concentrated for a second. "Two."

Zuko smiled and turned back to the door. "Good. Then this should be an easy takedown." Zuko quickly unlocked the door with the same combination for the trap door, except without the ball of fire whizzing around the room, and beckoned for Aang to follow in with him. Pushing the door aside, the two benders jumped into the room ready to attack. But no one was there. In fact, the room was empty.

Toph leaned against the doorjamb and started to laugh. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself," she said between chuckles.

"Good one, Toph," Sokka said as he entered the room.

Katara came up behind Sokka and said, "That wasn't funny, Toph. This is serious. We need to focus."

"Oh, cool it, Sugar Queen. In a situation this grim, we need to laugh a little," Toph replied as she entered the room beside Katara, the chuckles still shaking her small form. Maliya was quick to follow behind them, and Sokka was near by to shut the door.

The room suddenly grew quiet as Zuko turned his attention to the schematics that lay atop a large desk in the corner. He quickly unrolled them and Sokka was there in a flash to look over his shoulder. The two of them scanned the blueprints, looking for Suki's name among the prisoner manifest.

While Zuko and Sokka continued to work, the other four walked over to a long, lit-up table stretched alongside the other wall. It was Katara who was the first to figure out what it was. "It's indicators for the trap doors. Look." She pointed at one closest to her. "This is where we started out and here's where we are now," she said as she moved her finger along a line of seven red lights. "So if we trip one…"

"They'll know about it in an instant," Zuko finished as he came to stand beside her. "So here's where we are now," Zuko said, pointing out the red light that Katara had ended on, "and here is where Suki is." Zuko moved his finger back along at least twenty lights, including the seven they had already passed through, and stopped on cell number 567.

"And the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors?" Katara asked.

Sokka stepped up alongside Zuko and pointed at the cell numbers next to Suki's. "They are in the five cells next to her."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Katara exclaimed. "Let's get going."

While Sokka and Zuko rolled up their newly acquired schematics and shoved them in their belts alongside their swords, Katara walked over to the door and slowly pushed it open. After scanning the corridor for guards, she called back, "The coast is clear. Let's go." And she stepped out into the corridor, disappearing from sight.

"Wait!" Zuko called after her. As he reached the door, Zuko could hear the click above him and knew that the waterbender had inevitably tripped the trap door right next to the control room. "Watch out!" he yelled to her as she turned towards him. But it was too late. The realization hit her at the same time that Zuko knocked her to the ground, throwing her out of the path of the crashing gate.

As the confusion cleared, Katara registered that Zuko had his arms around her waist and was currently on top of her. She stared up into the golden bronze eyes of the firebender who had saved her. But the redeeming act he had just performed for her was the farthest thing from her unforgiving thoughts. "Okay, you can get off me now," she said in an irritated tone of voice.

"So that's the thanks I get?" he said without moving a muscle.

"I'll thank you as soon as you get off of me," Katara said, pushing on Zuko's chest.

Reluctantly, Zuko rolled off of her, releasing his hands from around her waist. He then stood to his feet and offered a helping hand to Katara. Begrudgingly, she took it, and he pulled her to her feet. She immediately removed her hand from his as soon as she was standing. "Thanks," was her brief word of appreciation.

Zuko only nodded as he turned his attention to the trap door that was now before them. "Now what?" Katara asked as Zuko moved closer to the door.

"Aang? AANG?" Zuko said through the door.

"Yeah, Zuko, we're here," Aang said from the other side.

"Can Toph bend this metal? Have her try, would you?"

"Uh…well…she's already been trying and it's not budging."

"Sorry, Princey, but I think your little firebending lock is preventing me from bending it," Toph said.

Zuko sighed. "That's what I thought."

"So what do we do now?" Sokka asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

Zuko paused for a second. There was only one thing they could do. "We have to split up."

The firebender's simple statement was met with words of disagreement, anger, and fear.

"Listen!" he commanded them with a powerful tone. The gang quieted on both sides. "The guards will be coming soon to check on what tripped the door, so you have to hurry, Aang. The four of you need to go find Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors. Then you'll need to make your way to the eastern guard tower. Sokka should know what to do. I showed him how to avoid detection."

"And what about you and Katara?" Aang asked, the panic making his pitch rise. Katara could tell in his voice that Aang was having difficulty with the thought of leaving her behind.

"We'll have to head over to the western guard tower. It will be more heavily guarded, but the two of us should be able to avoid detection."

"But that's all the way at the other end of the prison! How will you find us?" Sokka questioned.

"Once we get to the top section of the prison, it should be easy enough to join up with you near the Invasion Force's holding cell. Aang?"

"Yes, Zuko?" the Avatar replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Remember what I showed you. Three blasts, then the five, and then the three again. Don't forget to wait for the click either. Remember that."

"I – I will," Aang stuttered. "Katara?" he called for her.

Katara came to stand next to Zuko. "Yes, Aang?"

"Be careful. Both of you. We'll wait for you as long as it takes."

Aang's tone didn't sound as reassuring as he wanted it to be. "We will. Don't worry, Aang. Everything will be fine."

"I know."

Katara could sense the tears in Aang's voice, and her own tears began to surface. What if they didn't make it out of there? What if her and Zuko got caught? Or worse? What if Aang did? What would the world do with the Avatar in prison? And then another terrifying thought entered Katara's mind. What if Maliya got caught? Asking her to come along was a mistake. She was an airbender, an airbender that wasn't suppose to exist. If either one of them were captured, they would surely be thrown into the lowest part of the Boiling Rock prison only to be tortured and starved to death.

"We'll meet up with you near the holding cells then. You best get going. The guards will be coming soon. Sokka, take a longer route to Suki's cell so you don't come across the guards," Zuko said as he stepped away from the door. "We'll meet up again soon." And then Zuko turned and walked past Katara, his left hand extended along the wall already searching for the trap door.

"See you soon," was Sokka's shaky reply.

Katara could hear their feet shuffling away, so she stepped away from the door and turned towards Zuko. The firebender had already unlocked the first trap door and was motioning for her to follow. She quickly skipped over to where he was and crossed over the burning tracks at his feet. And then without so much as a nod in her direction, he placed his hand on the wall once more and continued down the corridor. Katara stayed close behind him, obeying his every unspoken request. She knew in that moment that if it weren't for Zuko, she'd be stuck in this prison with no hope of escaping. And it was this thought that kept her mouth shut. For what could she say? He'd saved her life, corrected her stupid mistake. She wanted to thank him, but her pride kept her from talking. And so the unlikely pairing continued on in silence while Katara's hardened heart began to melt in light of Zuko's rescuing act.

*******

"What's happened!?"

The look of fear in the warden's eyes only made Azula's menacing gaze darken. "I'm not sure, Princess Azula. It could be a prisoner trying to escape again. There is an earthbender two cells down from that trap door. It – it could be him."

Azula took a step closer to the lighted control panel and stared down at the one blinking red light. "That door is near the eastern entrance, is it not?"

The warden looked back down at the flashing light. "Uh…yes…I believe it is."

"And it is also near the eastern control room."

The warden nodded his head in response to her statement.

While the deadly Fire Nation princess stared down at the panel of red lights, her eyes fixed on the lone blinking one, an interesting thought crossed her mind. As she processed the possibilities, her lips began to curl up into an eager smile. Azula turned to face the warden and said, "You're wasting your time. It's not a prisoner," and then she moved towards the door.

"Then who is it, your highness?"

Azula's smile lit up her eyes with a burning anticipation. "An even greater prize."

The warden stared after her fleeting image with a look of bewilderment written across his face, but he quickly recovered and immediately ordered his guards to investigate.

While the prison went up in arms, Azula found her two companions. "Mai. Ty Lee."

"Yes, Azula?" they said in unison as they gathered around her.

With the same sparkle of radiant expectation dancing in her eyes, Azula secured their allegiance with one simple announcement. "We have work to do." And the three of them began to conspire.

_

* * *

_

_So what did you think of the fire-locked trap doors? Believe it or not, before even writing Strategy, the first part to this story, the idea of a trap door that could only be unlocked through firebending was one of the first things I knew I wanted to use. The idea sounded very appealing and I've been working with it ever since. I knew I wanted the Boiling Rock to be like a labyrinth with a series of trap gates that would be sprung if you so much as walked past them. And, of course, it all had to be expertly hidden and virtually impenetrable. The whole idea behind the trap doors is to keep prisoners from escaping and to keep heroes from infiltrating. Pretty cool. At least I thought so. A little more elaborate to be sure, but it adds to the suspense and the Zutara fun! Hehe._

_Also, this is no longer a 4-part story. It is now a 6-PART STORY. I've written much more than you see here and that was the problem. It just kept going and going and going. By the time I would have finished RESCUE, it would have been 30 pages long!!! So it was time to split it up. And the truth is there hasn't been much rescuing going on yet so I thought I'd better save that title for part 5 of the story._

_BREACH seemed like the perfect name for this section of the story since it means a breaking of the law or an infiltration/invasion. But the other definition of it was a severance of friendly relations. That kind of fit too since the gang does get split up in this part of the story. Not really a severance of their friendship but a splitting up of it. Either way, the title fits perfectly!_

_So I've already written several pages into the next chapter and I'm almost done with it. It should be posted in no time. But for now, here's the complete list of the 6 parts in this story._

_The Boiling Rock (1) STRATEGY__  
The Boiling Rock (2) DISCOVERY  
__The Boiling Rock (3) BREACH  
__The Boiling Rock (4) TRAPPED  
__The Boiling Rock (5) RESCUE  
The Boiling Rock (6) ESCAPE_

_I hope you stick around to read the rest! It's gonna be exciting! And the Zutaraness…well, you'll just have to wait and see! =D_

_AVidZktjo_


	4. Avatar: The Boiling Rock 4 Trapped

_Could someone please __**REVIEW**__ this story already? I know you've been favoriting it and I'm dying to know what you all think of it! __**Any comments are most appreciated!**__ Let me know how I'm doing. Am I getting the characters right? How are the Zutara parts? How's the suspense? __**Let me know. Thanks!!! =D**_

* * *

_**Avatar the Last Airbender: The Boiling Rock (4) TRAPPED  
**_

_Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo_

"Why don't we take this corridor?" Katara spoke up for the first time as she stared down the dark passage that Zuko had walked by without so much as a backward glance. "Maybe we could catch up with them. You told Sokka to—"

"I told Sokka to take a winding path because he can. We can't," Zuko answered her as he continued to walk along the same corridor they'd been walking down for several minutes.

Katara quickly caught up to him but continued to argue her point. "Why not? Can't we just take that passageway and then turn north again and eventually catch up to them?"

"No."

Katara waited for Zuko to add more, and when he didn't, she continued to press him. "Well…why not?"

Zuko sighed, stopped, and turned to face her. "You really want to know?"

Looking up into Zuko's blazing gold eyes, she saw a sadness there that made her stomach turn. Her only response was a simple nod.

In a surprisingly gentle tone, Zuko explained, "Because you triggered that trap door."

Katara could feel herself getting sick at the guilt that was rising within her, but she pushed past it and asked, "Why would that make a difference?"

Again Zuko replied in a calm manner. "This hallway that we're in right now is like the main vein of the prison, at least for the middle section that is. And like I told your brother, this prison is like a maze. On the schematics you can see several connecting corridors, but when you actually walk inside this prison, you discover that they aren't all there. The main corridor circles the prison completely, and that's the one we're walking along right now. But if we were to take a different path like that one back there, then we'd be entering into a labyrinth of twists and turns. Normally that wouldn't be such a bad thing. We could make our way back. The only problem is that you triggered a trap door by the control room, and now there's no way we could work our way back to them."

"Are you saying that the other hallways are like separate mazes and there isn't one that leads back that way?" Katara asked as she pointed behind her.

Zuko's lips curled into a slight smile. "Exactly."

"So what does the control room trap door have to do with that?"

Zuko turned from Katara and began moving down the hallway once more, his left hand burning into the wall as he walked. The curious waterbender followed him, and she listened with rapt attention as he told her more about the prison's layout. "It's like the prison is divided into two sections on this middle level. The north and the south. We are now on the south side of the eastern control room, and so we are trapped in a sense. If we were to take that passageway back there, for instance, it would only lead around this southern part of the prison. The only way to get back into the northern part of it is to circle around or to walk through the maze until you reach the western part of this main passageway."

"So is that what the plan is? To circle around this whole southern section?"

Zuko stopped to unlock a trap door and only after they had passed under it safely did he answer her question. "No. That would take too long."

Katara shook her head in confusion as she continued to walk alongside Zuko. "Then what exactly _is_ the plan?"

Without pausing along the passageway, Zuko glanced down, his eyes catching Katara's attention. "After a few more trap doors, we'll come to the perfect place to enter the maze. There will be a lot of twists and turns, but going through the maze of hallways will lead us to the western guard tower a lot quicker than just circling around. Plus, we'll avoid the guards that way."

Zuko came to another stop and he unlocked the next trap door. The two of them passed under it with ease and resumed their even pace along the corridor. The silence also returned, and Katara welcomed it for her thoughts were warring within her and her emotions were a chaotic mess. She needed time to think. On the one hand she was struck with fear over their situation, but one glance up at Zuko was enough to still her heart's worried beating. And it was this reaction to his presence that had caused her thoughts and emotions to clash in the first place. The man beside her used to instill fear in her and now his presence was bringing her relief and calm. It was a feeling she did not want to welcome, though she felt inclined to accept it anyway for he was her only hope in this desolate place.

_Her only hope_. The thought sent a chill down her spine. What if he hadn't reached her in time? What if she had been trapped behind that impenetrable gate all by herself? Katara's thoughts turned to ones of loathing but they weren't directed at Zuko. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. Why did she step out into that corridor? Why hadn't she just waited? Was it because she hated that Zuko had suddenly turned into their leader? One quick glimpse in his direction revealed to Katara that that had been part of her reasoning in that moment. She didn't want to follow him. She didn't want to trust him. It only led to heartbreak. She realized then that that was the _real_ reason she'd walked out of the control room door without waiting for his guidance. _She didn't want to trust him_. But now she had no choice. He was her only hope, her unlikely rescuer, her lone companion in the darkness of this prison.

While Zuko unlocked another trap door, Katara watched his movements with a softened eye for the first time since Ba Sing Se. Maybe he _had_ truly changed. She still didn't want to believe it though. The anger and hurt she felt at his betrayal still stung and resided deep within her. She couldn't trust him fully, at least not yet, but she was willing to start making amends. And it was this truth that opened her mouth as they once more moved side-by-side along the main hallway.

"Zuko," Katara said his name in little more than a whisper.

Zuko's eyes popped open wider at the soft mention of his name. Her sudden change of tone had startled him, but his pace and voice remained even as he replied, "Yes?"

Katara began fidgeting with her hands. This was going to be harder than she thought. "I know that this is all my fault and I know that if it weren't for you…I'd be trapped in here. So…I just…well…I wanted to say…thank you, Zuko."

Zuko suddenly stopped, but his eyes continued to stare down the dark passageway. He was in shock. Had she just genuinely thanked him? Her tone of voice was so soft and gentle, nothing at all like the last few weeks. What exactly was she saying? Was she beginning to forgive him? He could only hope. All he knew was that she had finally taken a step in the right direction, and hope had never been more abundant in him than at that moment.

With a smile growing on his lips, Zuko looked down into Katara's radiant blue eyes and said, "You're welcome, Katara."

Katara's eyes grew wide. She'd never heard him say her name, at least not to her face. Had he been saving it, waiting for the moment when she would finally forgive him? She could ask, but the mystery of it kept her from talking. Maybe it was a secret best left alone. Maybe she didn't want to know. But then again, maybe she did.

Zuko didn't give her much time to ponder that thought though. As soon as he'd blessed her with his elusive smile, his attention reverted back to the task at hand and he began to stride down the corridor again. She fell into step beside him, but this time the silence didn't return.

"Katara," – there he went using her name again – "we may not get another chance to be alone like this and there are some things I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. I was wondering if you would hear me out now that we're on somewhat friendlier terms."

So he had known what that "thank you" had cost her. She should have guessed. He was quicker than most, including her brother. "Uh…sure, Zuko."

"But first…" he trailed off as he quickly unlocked another trap door. As soon as he was finished and they had crossed over the flame's glowing remains, Zuko led them a few feet farther and then finally took a turn into the maze. "Now we'll be heading in the right direction. This should be the quickest route to the western guard tower." He suddenly turned to look at Katara. "Going through here will be a lot more dangerous. The glow doesn't last as long, so stay close."

Katara's instincts immediately pushed her closer to him. She could have been like Toph and just grabbed onto his arm for support and guidance, but this was Zuko not her lovable brother. Though the idea was tempting in a completely platonic protective fashion, she decided that walking a little closer beside him was a more acceptable plan.

It wasn't long before Katara saw why he had told her to stay close. The first trap door he unlocked only took a few seconds to click back into place. It was just enough time for them to hurry underneath it, not at all like the main corridor that had allowed for a little more breathing room.

After that first trap door, Zuko took another turn, this time to the north and Katara could make out a fork in the path just a few yards ahead where no doubt they would turn west once more. But the directions they were heading quickly became jumbled as their conversation began to pick up. Katara just hoped Zuko was paying attention to where he was going. But knowing him, this labyrinth was like second nature to him. As they wound their way in and through the maze of passageways, he never once stopped to look at the schematics still tucked under his belt and he never paused. And this, to Katara's later amazement, was something she came to unknowingly admire about her unlikely hero.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Katara was the first to say when Zuko didn't immediately pick up on their previous conversation.

To Zuko's surprise, her tone was still unbelievably gentle and gave him the ounce of hope he needed in order to talk to her openly. His eyes remained on the path ahead as he spoke. "I know it's a rather…um…tough subject, but I wanted to talk about Ba Sing Se."

Katara swallowed hard at his mention of the fallen city where her unquestionable anger and loathing towards him had originated. The memory was still fresh in her mind. And he was right. It _was_ a tough subject, one she didn't exactly want to talk about. But her earlier commitment to begin making amends with this changed prince compelled her to allow this conversation. "What about it?" she replied in a soft but hoarse tone.

Out of the corner of her eye, Katara caught a glimpse of Zuko's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Katara realized that this was just as tough for him as it was for her. Neither one of them wanted to talk about this, but it wasn't something they could just ignore, not if they wanted to get past it. After unlocking a trap door and shuffling underneath it, Zuko gradually voiced what was on his mind. "First of all, I never got a chance to thank you."

Katara's surprised eyes met Zuko's for a brief moment at that comment and then quickly focused on her fidgeting hands again as he continued. "You gave me reason to hope again. You gave me a glimpse into a greater destiny." Zuko's expression saddened. "I just wish I would have listened to it."

Katara could sense the regret in Zuko's voice, and she knew in that instant that her anger had no chance of surviving this discussion. She could almost hear the ice breaking off of her heart as his soft words of repentance began to sink in and warm her.

"My uncle presented me with the right path, the path you had so clearly opened up for me. But when the time came" – Zuko cringed at his next words – "I betrayed him…and you. I'll never forgive myself for that, and I don't expect you to either, Katara. I don't even expect Uncle to."

This sudden insight into his soul was becoming harder to bear than his betrayal. Why was he opening up to her like this? She wasn't exactly the sympathetic type when it came to him, at least not after his betrayal. Yet he continued to let her in, deeper than even she realized.

"Even in that instant, that one second that I had to decide, I knew the right path to take. I knew it. I had it all in front of me. If I had only helped defend both you and Aang against Azula, things would have turned out differently. Better. But I refused to go down that road. In the back of my mind the image of my father haunted me, and I longed for his acceptance. If just one person could accept me…" Zuko's gaze dropped to the metal paneling at his feet. "But then again, someone already had. My uncle. And I let him down." Zuko winced and closed his eyes for a brief moment as the pain of that betrayal came back to haunt him.

But Zuko didn't let his past mistakes circle around in his mind for long. He pushed the memories aside, opened his eyes, and looked down at the attentive waterbender. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Katara, is that I've made many mistakes. Too many. I can never undo them or erase them from my memory…or yours. All I can do is ask for your help."

Katara stared into Zuko's piercing golden eyes, her gaze as unwavering as his. "My help? What do you need _my_ help for?"

Zuko's elusive smile returned. "A long time ago you looked upon me with acceptance, forgiveness, and even compassion. For that brief moment we were imprisoned together, you looked past my mistakes and saw me not as your enemy but as your ally. You understood me."

"I've never understood you, Zuko," Katara plainly stated.

Zuko's smile widened. "You understand me more than most, and even you know that."

"Hmmm," Katara hummed, letting Zuko's claim register within her thoughts. He may be right, but she still didn't fully understand him. "Maybe. But I was still wrong about you. You still chose the wrong path."

Zuko's smile faded. "Yes. I did. But you saw in me the potential for the right one. Uncle has always seen that in me, but you…that was a surprise. I was your enemy and yet you showed me compassion and understanding. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it to you, Katara. All I can do is tell you that the time we spent together under Ba Sing Se…it meant a lot to me and I'll never forget it." Zuko turned his attention back to the path ahead but Katara's gaze remained focused on him. "It...changed me. I knew that if I joined the Avatar's gang and finally walked the path of my true destiny, I would find honor and acceptance among you. And I have you to thank for that."

Zuko glanced over at Katara again, but she was shaking her head. "How can you thank me for that? I haven't been very accepting. I've been angry at you this whole time. There's no reason for you to thank me."

"Yes, there is. When I returned home, I was given everything I could have ever wanted, at least everything I _once_ wanted. It didn't take long for me to realize that, thanks to my uncle…and you."

"I'm still not following, Zuko. Our time in Ba Sing Se was brief. All I did was offer to heal your scar."

Zuko's eyes peered deeper into Katara's as he asked, "If that's all you did, then why were you so angry at my betrayal?"

Katara was stunned into silence. He was right. If that's all she had done, then why did his betrayal matter? The short but significant connection they had made meant the world to her. When he had broken it, her heart became as ice and neither Aang nor Sokka nor Toph could melt it. The ice had remained in place and even solidified when Zuko had come along to join the gang. And it was only now when their connection was being reborn that the ice began to melt away.

An unexpected smile began to form upon Katara's lips. "You're right, Zuko. Our connection in Ba Sing Se has always meant something to me." Katara's gaze returned to the metal at her shuffling feet. "When you chose to side with Azula…I was angry, more angry than I've ever been. And when you came back and tried to join us, I looked upon you with such hatred, but it was never you that I hated. It was what you did and how you made me feel that I hated." Katara stopped short at her last statement. What was she talking about? _How you made me feel_? Where had that come from?

But Zuko interrupted her thoughts before she could fully process them. "And it was how you made me feel that changed me." Katara's eyes met with Zuko's again. "Somehow your simple acceptance of me under Ba Sing Se sunk in deeper than even Uncle's words. I was thinking of our time together when I decided that I was going to join you. Although I knew you wouldn't accept me right away, I hoped that this moment would come."

"What moment?" Katara questioned him in a whisper.

A tender smile played upon Zuko's lips. "The moment when you finally would."

The softness of Zuko's gaze seemed to awaken a fire in Katara. Her heart was no longer ice but a burning flame. What was happening to her? This fallen prince meant nothing more to her than any other member of the gang. He was just…a part of the family. A part of _her_ family. A part of her heart. That last thought scared Katara and her eyes left Zuko's, returning to the restless hands folded in front of her. How had one simple "thank you" turned into _this_? Her heart had melted. She knew it had. His soothing words had chipped away at the ice and now she could feel flames burning inside of her.

A few minutes. That's all it took to create a bond between them behind the walls of Ba Sing Se. And now here she was again, alone with the Fire Nation prince. How long had it been? How many trap doors had he walked them under? Had only a few minutes passed? Katara couldn't be sure. It had felt like an eternity just as Ba Sing Se had. With Zuko time seemed nonexistent. _Everything_ seemed nonexistent.

Taking a look around her surroundings, Katara was suddenly surprised to see that she was still in the most frightening Fire Nation prison ever created. Why had it felt like she was just talking to Zuko in a calm, peaceful place? How did he affect her that way? She hadn't even noticed all the trap doors he had most certainly been unlocking. She hadn't noticed a thing except for his blazing golden eyes. Eyes which were looking into hers once more. Eyes that could see deeper into her soul than any others. Eyes that no longer belonged to the enemy that had betrayed her but belonged to the only person who was able to ignite her frozen heart.

*******

"See you soon."

After the simple goodbye had left Sokka's lips, he turned and directed the diminished gang in the opposite direction. Aang quickly took his position at the front while the rest of them huddled near by. His trembling right hand moved hesitantly along the wall, searching for the first of many trap doors. And once he had found one, the timid Avatar stopped in front of the emblem and just stared at it. He ran through the combination in his head over and over again. He had to get this right.

"Don't worry, Aang. You can do this." Maliya walked closer to Aang and put her hand upon his shoulder in much the same way as Katara. Aang's gaze focused on her and a weak smile played upon his lips. "You've got this. I know you do," she added as a reassuring smile brightened up her features.

"Yeah, come on, Twinkle Toes, you can do this," Toph was quick to speak up.

Aang looked at Toph for a brief second before fixing his gaze on Maliya again. Her smile had grown wider and in her eyes Aang saw all the hope he needed.

Taking a deep breath, Aang positioned himself in front of the emblem just as Zuko had and Maliya stepped back. Everyone held their breath as Aang ran through the firebending combination with the same speed as Zuko. And when he had finished, they heard the faint click above them.

"Aang, you did it!" Maliya congratulated him, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder once more as an even wider smile crossed her lips. Aang grinned in return, his eyes shining bright at his accomplishment.

"Okay, okay, he did it. Now let's get going," Sokka said as he pushed the three of them across the glowing tracks at their feet.

Aang resumed his post ahead of the gang, his hand following along the right wall. After passing three cell doors, Aang came across another trap door. This time he didn't hesitate. He did the firebending combination with ease and the group passed under just as easily.

"Okay now, after five more trap doors, we'll come to another passageway. Zuko said we needed to take a winding path, so we should turn there," Sokka was telling the gang, his eyes fixed on the schematics in his hands. "We should be able to work our way around to Suki's cell without being spotted." The other three nodded in return.

As Aang unlocked each trap door, his confidence in the combination grew. But when they passed over the last of the five trap doors and took a turn into the real maze of the prison, Aang's fear returned. "Sokka, did Zuko ever say which side has the emblem on it? Is it on the right or the left?"

Sokka's eyes grew wide. "Um…well…" he stuttered as he looked over the schematics in a hurry. "Well…I don't…I don't see anything on here to tell us which side." Sokka looked into Aang's worried eyes. "And I don't remember him saying anything about that either."

Aang immediately turned to the blind earthbender. "Toph, can you sense where the doors are at all?"

"Uh…well…not really, Twinkle Toes. They kind of blend in with everything else, plus the firebending lock makes it even harder to find."

Aang looked back down the frightening hallway. What if they triggered a trap door? The thought made him shiver in fear.

"Aang," Maliya called his name. The Avatar turned to her. "What if the emblem is on _both_ sides?"

Aang's brow wrinkled in concentration as he thought of that possibility. "If that's true," he said as he turned to gaze down the passageway once more, "then maybe I can...Sokka."

"Yeah?" Sokka replied, looking up from the blueprints.

"If I trigger a door, is there another corridor like this one farther down?"

Sokka quickly scanned the schematics. "Uh…yes, there is. Just ten more cells down."

"Okay. Good."

"But…" The gang focused their attention on Sokka again. With a shrug of his shoulders, Sokka added, "It might not even be there."

"What?" the three of them asked in unison.

"Zuko said that the schematics aren't exactly telling the truth. There are passageways on here that don't even exist. So that hallway could be there…or maybe not."

"Stupid firebenders. What's wrong with them? They just _had_ to make this crazy prison! They couldn't make it easy, could they?"

"Toph," Aang said. "Don't worry. We'll make it out of here."

"Oh, we'll make it out of here. But before we do, I'm gonna smash the warden's face in."

"But he's not the one who made this prison," Maliya stated.

"I don't care! I gotta smash some firebender's face in cuz this prison is ridiculous!"

Sokka laughed. "Alright, Toph, we'll let you take care of him."

"Oh, believe me, I—" Toph's eyes suddenly widened, and Sokka stopped laughing.

"What is it?" Aang was quick to ask.

"The guards. They're coming," she said in a whisper.

"How far?" Sokka asked next.

"They're several yards back along the main hallway, but we better get going."

Sokka looked to Aang. "No turning back now, so don't trip the door."

Aang swallowed hard and turned to face the frightening corridor again. "Everyone stay where you are for a minute. I'm gonna try something."

While Sokka, Toph, and Maliya huddled together, Aang walked down the middle of the passageway with both of his arms extended. He couldn't touch both walls at the same time so he spouted fire from his fingertips and kept glancing back and forth between the two sides, desperately searching for the Fire Nation emblem. He just hoped this worked.

Aang passed one cell door, then another, and then a third. With each cell that he passed, the fear rose higher within him but he kept going. There was no other option. He passed the fourth cell block and then the fifth but still no trap gate. What was this? Did the maze not have _any_ trap doors? Had Zuko left out even more information?

But then he saw it. The emblem or rather _emblems_. Aang dropped his arms, stepped over to the left side, and placed his hand directly over the emblem making it glow brighter. Then he moved to the right side and did the same thing over there. There were two of them. It didn't matter which side he walked on. This good news brought on a sigh of relief and Aang beckoned for the other three to join him.

While he unlocked the trap door by using the emblem on the right, Sokka said, "That was a great idea, Aang. It's a good thing Maliya was right. Who knows what would have happened. We could've gotten caught."

"We still could get caught!" Toph exclaimed in a whisper as she punched Sokka on the shoulder.

"She's right. We better hurry," Aang said as he crossed over the burning tracks.

The gang quickly crossed under the trap door, and as soon as Sokka's feet were over the burning tracks, they heard a faint click above them. They all turned around and saw that the glow had vanished. "That was fast," Maliya said.

"A little too fast," Sokka added.

"I think we better stick closer together. I have a feeling the trap doors are about to get a lot more dangerous," Aang said as the gang huddled closer around him.

Sokka directed them around another turn and Aang quickly found the next trap door. It reacted the same as the first, giving them only seconds to cross under it. They huddled even closer after the second door. Toph grabbed hold of Sokka's arm and Maliya walked closely next to Aang's left. The group also stayed completely quiet as they maneuvered through the maze of corridors. Sokka was quick to direct them down the right hallway and Aang was quick to unlock any trap doors guarding their path. But the road ahead of them took over an hour to weave through.

"How much further, Sokka?" Toph was the first to complain.

"We're almost there. Just one more turn and we should hit the main hallway again and be right next to cell 561," Sokka answered her after glancing down at the schematics still open in his hands.

"You said that already."

"I'm sorry, Toph, but these blueprints aren't very accurate. I mean, they _are_ accurate. They just don't show me which passages are there and which aren't. If this next one is there" – Sokka said while pointing at his map – "then we should be out of here."

"You know I can't see what you're pointing at."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Toph," Sokka said while looking down at her.

"But I _can_ see if the next hallway is really there and I think it is."

"You think?"

"I can't see as clearly with only metal under my feet but I'm pretty sure it's there."

And sure enough Toph was right. Within a few minutes the gang had reached the main corridor again and Sokka stopped in front of the first cell block with a look of pure excitement upon his face.

"561! That means that the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors should be in cells 562 through 566 and Suki in 567!" Sokka exclaimed as he turned to face the Avatar. "Hurry, Aang! Free them!"

Aang quickly shuffled down the hallway to cell bock number 562, checking for trap doors along the way. When he was satisfied with his inspection, he stood before the cell door and immediately spotted the Fire Nation emblem. This emblem was stamped into the side and didn't require a fiery touch to find it. It was the same as the control room door. Aang just hoped it opened up in the same way, too.

After performing the firebending combination without the ball of fire, the gang heard the cell door click and they looked around at each other excitedly. Aang immediately reached for the handle and slowly moved the heavy door out of the way. Everyone gathered around to peer inside the cell.

"It's empty," Sokka was the first to point out. The cell block was a simple square room with a mat lying next to the back wall, and although it wasn't well lit, the gang could still see that no one was inside. "I don't understand. Why is it empty?" Sokka asked, turning his attention to Aang.

"Maybe…they've been moved?" Aang hesitantly replied.

"Moved!?" Sokka exclaimed, his excitement suddenly plummeting into despair. "But that can't be. The prisoner manifest said that they were here. They _have_ to be here! Open the rest of them, Aang. Hurry!"

Aang did as Sokka asked but each cell block that they opened was as empty as the first. Finally the gang came to stand before cell number 567 and Sokka said in a hushed whimper, "What's the point? She's probably not even in there."

"No. I think she is in there."

All eyes turned towards Toph.

"What!? What do you mean!?" Sokka immediately responded, his eyes lighting up with hope.

"Well, I can't see real clearly, but I'm almost positive that she's in there. Even before Aang opened the doors of the other cells, I could sense that they were empty. But this one…there's someone in there. They don't feel empty like the rest."

"Suki," Sokka said in a whisper as he looked towards Aang, expectantly waiting for him to open the door.

Aang took his firebending stance and within seconds a click could be heard. Sokka held his breath as Aang and Maliya pulled the door open to reveal the figure of a girl standing in the shadows with her back to them.

Sokka quickly entered the cell block with Aang and Toph on his heels. "Suki?" he called as he reached out to put his hand on her shoulder.

But before Sokka could touch her, the girl somersaulted over his head and landed softly behind him. Sokka spun around and stared into the eyes of Azula's trusty acrobatic companion. Ty Lee. "It's nice to see you again, Cutie. Too bad I can't stay longer." And with a quick peck on Sokka's cheek, Ty Lee bounded over Aang's head and out the door.

Maliya, who had been standing just outside the cell, turned and watched in horror as Ty Lee cart wheeled back to cell block 565 tripping the trap door. As the gate came crashing down behind her, Ty Lee began to sprint in the other direction. And without a thought to her actions, Maliya ran after her as the bubbly acrobat sprung every trap door she flew past.

Aang, Sokka, and Toph immediately exited the cell block, catching only a glimpse of Maliya chasing after Ty Lee as one by one each trap door came crashing down. The deafening sound of the falling gates lasted only for a few seconds and silence quickly enveloped the trembling threesome. With a gate blocking the path before and behind them, there was no where to turn. They were trapped. Without Maliya. Without Suki. And without any hope of escaping.

*******

"We're almost there, Katara," Zuko calmly stated. He looked down at the waterbender walking beside him and saw her simple nod of acknowledgement. Her eyes remained fixed on her fidgeting hands, however, refusing to stare into his penetrating eyes again. Zuko's lips curled into a slight smile at her silent response and his gaze moved back to the task at hand, but his mind was elsewhere.

The tender moment they had shared only minutes ago was still taking its toll on her. He could see her softening before his eyes. Her tone of voice was no longer harsh and unrelenting but gentle and accepting. Zuko knew she was still in the process of pardoning his betrayal, but he also knew that she had grown significantly closer to sincerely forgiving him. He could hear it in her voice, feel it in her words, and see it in her eyes. Her hardened, ice-covered heart was melting and the idea was turning Zuko's rare smile into a normal routine. And this constant reoccurrence of his elusive smile began to form new thoughts in his mind, thoughts that he never saw coming.

Zuko found himself thinking back on their time in Ba Sing Se with longing. He wished they had had more time. He wished he had chosen the right path. He wished he had believed in himself as she had in that one fleeting moment they spent together among the crystal catacombs. If he'd only listened to her, maybe then he would have made the right decision and chosen the path of his greater destiny. But he didn't, and now he had to live with that.

And yet, as Zuko looked down upon Katara once more, he couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different between them. What would have happened? Where would they be right now? Would the invasion have worked if he had been with them or would it still have failed? But that wasn't the real reason Zuko was remorseful about his betrayal. He had let his uncle down and he was more distraught about that than he'd ever been in his life, but Zuko realized that that was not the cause of the burning regret that stung his heart in that moment. Gradually he comprehended that his regrets were less about his uncle and more about the waterbender following along beside him.

As they had talked openly about Ba Sing Se, Zuko had recognized the sound of her anger subsiding and the presence of his redemption in her eyes. He could see that forgiveness was quickly taking hold of her and he couldn't be more pleased about their recovered connection. But still his heart was in shambles. If only he had never broken that bond, their relationship would have been deeper now instead of in need of repair. And it was that reflection that caused him pain, for under the streets of Ba Sing Se he had found a true friend and ally. A friend that understood him for who he genuinely was. A friend that saw past the hurt and pain in his life and had accepted him underneath it all. And a friend who was unknowingly pulling on the strings of his heart, making him yearn for a deeper bond that seemed more like a dream than an actual possibility.

This was the thought that shocked him, the one feeling he'd never seen coming. For what more could he ask of her? What more could he want from her? He had opened up his heart to her in a way he'd never done with anyone before. With Mai he had learned to keep his mouth shut for she was never truly listening. With Uncle Iroh he had learned to accept his advice though at times it was unwelcome. With his father and Azula, he had tried to do as he was told while his mind had pondered the consequences of such obedience. But with Katara, that was a different experience entirely.

He had never felt freer to be himself or able to speak more openly. And the reason was because he knew she was listening, truly listening. She seemed to hear every word he said and he could tell that she always took it to heart. She had been the one to hear him, to finally understand him. Once his enemy, now his most trusted ally. But how could she be such an ally when she herself had no reason to trust him in return? How could he even think of her in that way? Was she really the one he trusted most in his life? Or did he merely want her to be?

Zuko shook his head at his own thoughts. What was he thinking? Their time together under Ba Sing Se lasted only a few short moments, mere minutes even. So how could such a profound connection be made in so little amount of time? How could that one act of kindness she showed him become the driving force of his destiny? He didn't think it possible, and yet there he walked beside her, pondering that very notion. _It's impossible_, he told himself. Nothing would ever come of it. Nothing _could_ come of it. The short time they spent together was just that, a short time together. Nothing more. But in the midst of that challenging thought, Katara's gaze caught his for a brief instance and he knew he was lying to himself. It _was_ more.

It was unbelievable and it was unexpected but Zuko couldn't fight it. Something had stirred in him during the moment they shared together in the crystal catacombs and it was stirring in him again. He couldn't be sure yet what it would amount to, but he did know that he could no longer deny it. Something had awakened in him, something dark and mysterious and all at once bright and breathtaking. But what could it be?

A frighteningly exciting thought entered his mind but he quickly cast it aside. No. So fast? So sudden? So unexpected? It was impossible! She would never. She _could_ never. And yet his mind reeled with the alluring possibility. How could he even expect such a thing from her? It was more of a dream than an achievable prospect anyway, so Zuko pushed it to the back of his mind, forcing himself to focus. They were nearly to the western guard tower and he dared not look beyond anything but the moment at hand. But no matter how hard he tried to subdue the startling notion, it kept resurfacing, tormenting him with the prospect of a future he was almost certain he could never have.

"Are we on the western side now?"

Katara's question woke Zuko up to the present and he peeked around the corner, looking right then left down the long stretch of the main hallway. "Yes."

"How much farther to the guard tower then?"

Zuko turned north down the passageway and continued his search for the trap doors. "It shouldn't take that much longer. About twenty more gates or so and we should be there."

"Twenty more gates? It's already been over an hour. What if Aang and the others are already at the holding cells? We can't keep them waiting forever."

"Don't worry. My guess is they are just now reaching the Kyoshi Warriors' cell blocks. It takes some time to maneuver through this prison. That is why there are so many guards," Zuko replied in an even tone.

But Katara wasn't fooled. She knew him better than most though she refused to believe it. She caught the subtle slump of his shoulders and the far off look in his eyes. His mind was elsewhere. His replies automatic. "What's wrong, Zuko?" she asked in a gentle voice, her gaze once more focused on him though she had tried to fight it.

Zuko wrinkled his brow, surprised at her question. He couldn't tell her what he'd been thinking. He didn't dare. So he kept his eyes facing forward and deflected her question by asking one in return. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

Katara bit her lip and dropped her gaze. She began to fiddle with a strand of her hair. "Our conversation ended just as quickly as it began. You suddenly became so quiet."

"As did you," Zuko pointed out.

"Hmmm. I guess I did." Katara brushed more hair into her fiddling hands and the movement caught Zuko's eye. A smile brightened up his face for a split second before fading into a more serious expression. Katara failed to notice. "I was thinking."

The silence dragged on after her spoken thought, and the pause in Katara's reflection left Zuko with a biting curiosity, so he pushed her for more. "About?"

Katara flipped her hair over her shoulder, folded her hands in front of her, and then stared ahead as she replied. "I've been thinking about my anger. You said that if it hadn't mattered to me then I shouldn't be angry. You were right. It shouldn't have mattered, but the problem is that it did."

Zuko couldn't believe that their conversation had taken a turn in this direction. He had been thinking almost the exact same thing. He had tried to reject the conflicting thoughts, but he too could not stop the truth from taking root in him. Just as she had said herself, it shouldn't have mattered but somewhere along the line it suddenly became something that did matter. Something that, in Zuko's opinion, was beginning to matter entirely too much. But he immediately silenced that thought and focused on Katara. "Why is that a problem?" he dared to ask.

Katara wanted to reply. She wanted to open her mouth and just say it. It's the reason why she had mentioned it in the first place. She wanted it off her chest. She didn't want to think about it anymore. But upon hearing his innocent inquiry, her thoughts suddenly stopped cold and she became unsure of her answer. Katara wanted to tell him that it wasn't a problem, that it just meant she had found an unlikely friend in him and was sad to see the friendship broken. But all too quickly the word _friend_ didn't seem to fit anymore. That wasn't the right word. But then what was the right word? Ally? Comrade? Companion? None of them seemed to work. The bond they had shared was rooted deeper within her than any connection she shared with her brother or Toph or even Aang. So then what was the right word?

"Katara?"

Zuko's sudden mention of her name sent a shiver down her spine. What was wrong with her? "Yes?" she said barely above a whisper.

Zuko remained silent for what seemed like an eternity but then she heard him sigh. "We should be there shortly."

So that was it then. He was just going to ignore it, forget she even mentioned it. Why didn't he continue to question her? But then the realization hit her and she understood why. He knew she wasn't ready to answer him. But how could he know that? He didn't know her. Katara tried to deny it, but she couldn't fight the truth for long before it came rushing out of her. Zuko knew her better than he let on and she knew him more than she thought she did. But how long had it been? A few minutes together in Ba Sing Se and little over an hour behind the walls of the Boiling Rock prison? They were like seconds in comparison to the grand scheme of life. So why was this happening to her? Why was this happening to _him_? Why couldn't they just be uncomplicated friends and leave it at that? How was it that so little time affected them so greatly? Katara was sick of the questions. She needed answers.

"Zuko," she said louder than she needed to. His eyes met hers in response. She stared into them, defiantly willing herself to stay focused on the topic rather than his perceptive gaze. "You want to know why it's a problem?" She didn't wait for him to respond. "The problem is that it _is_ a problem. It shouldn't have mattered. It should have just been a bump along our walks of life and nothing more. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I should have let it go sooner. I shouldn't be feeling this way!"

Katara looked away from Zuko then but the words still continued to pour forth from her mouth. "What was it? A few minutes? A few insignificant words? A kind gesture? That's all it was in the end. Nothing more. And yet…why does it feel like more? Why do I look at you and still wish you hadn't betrayed me? Why does it matter?" Tears suddenly sprung to Katara's eyes and Zuko stared at her in amazement. "And why does it still hurt?"

"Katara, I'm—"

"I know, I know. You're sorry." Katara closed her eyes, trying to trap the tears. "And I…I'm learning to forgive you, Zuko. I truly am. But I just want to know why! I want to know how I know you better than most." Katara opened her eyes and stared up at Zuko. "And I want to know how you know me."

Zuko dropped his hand from the wall and halted in front of her. "Katara, I…" he started to say, but then he sighed and stared at the floor, shaking his head. What could he say? He was as baffled as she was. After crossing his arms in front of him, he tried to speak again, all the while his gaze remaining fixed on the metal paneling at his feet. "Katara, I don't have the answers. I'm wondering the same things as you are right now. I've been thinking and thinking about this and still I have no reply. I was amazed myself at how much our time together in Ba Sing Se changed me…and how much it meant to me."

Zuko met Katara's gaze then. "But I promise you that this is not a problem or a bad thing. I know it is good, for without it I wouldn't be standing here in front of you. I wouldn't be the changed man I am now. And I have you to thank for that."

Katara wasn't satisfied. "But why, Zuko? Why? Why did it matter? Why _does_ it matter?"

Zuko took a deep breath before answering. "Maybe we're asking the wrong question. Maybe instead we should be asking ourselves and each other what we're going to do about it now."

After a quick bite of her lip, Katara said in return, "Alright then. So we both agree that it meant something, something we can't quite explain yet. So then what _are_ we going to do about it?"

A smile crossed Zuko's lips as the answer came to him. "The only thing we can do. Accept it."

Katara didn't take to that answer as easily as Zuko seemed to. "So that's your brilliant plan? You can lead us through a treacherous prison but you can't come up with a decent answer?" A laugh suddenly escaped Zuko's lips and Katara found herself smiling at the melodic sound. She didn't get an answer from him though for he started walking along the passageway again and she quickly fell in step beside him. "So that's it then? _Accept it_," she said while imitating his serious tone of voice.

Zuko's smile grew wider at her joke. "Yes. Accept it. Obviously neither one of us wants to think on it very hard, so what else can we do?"

"Hmmm. Maybe you're right. I'm sick of thinking on it. I just want to forget about it, quite frankly."

"As do I," Zuko agreed while he unlocked a trap door. They started walking along once more and Zuko's smile began to fade as he contemplated the issue yet again. He tried to accept it, but how could he let it go? He wanted an answer as badly as she did. No doubt she was thinking on the same thing as he was at that very moment. "Katara?"

"Uh-huh."

"You're thinking on it again, aren't you?"

Katara sighed. "Yes. And you?"

"Of course."

"Hmmm. I guess we can't escape it. At least you probably understand it more than I do."

"Not hardly." Katara looked up at him, her expression begging for him to explain. "Well…I guess I understand some of the reason why it matters to me. Like I told you before, it was a turning point in my life. What you did…what you offered me…it changed me. But that's as far as my understanding goes. I'm just as baffled as you are, Katara."

Looking back down at the floor, Katara sighed again. "I guess that's it then."

"I guess so." Zuko knew there was more he could say, much more, but he couldn't risk it.

Once again the silence enveloped them, only this time it wasn't so friendly. Neither one of their thoughts would quiet down as they wished them to. Instead they ran rampant into ideas and notions that both of them would rather avoid then face. But even though their minds were overflowing with implications, their lips remained still and their words unspoken as they passed under the remaining trap doors.

With ease they evaded the last gate, and Zuko guided Katara around a corner and down a short but expansive hallway that led to the vast door blocking the path into the western guard tower. "This is it, Katara," he simply stated and she nodded in response, conveying to him that she was ready for what lay ahead. After one quick glance in her direction, Zuko stepped forward and opened the gate with his firebending combination. He then beckoned for Katara to join him in opening the massive door. Together they wrapped their hands around the same latch and slowly pulled the door open only a few inches so as to sneak in undetected. Zuko was the first to squeeze through the crack they had made and Katara was quick to follow his example. And once on the other side, they quietly closed the door together and turned to face the cavernous room.

"It's so dark in here," Katara murmured. She noticed that there were lanterns hanging along the walls but they were farther down the hallway and only gave off a dim glow that didn't make it any easier to see. The place where she and Zuko stood was practically engulfed in darkness. She couldn't make out anything in front of her save for the lanterns. All too quickly a terrifying thought invaded her mind and her eyes grew wide. "Zuko!" she exclaimed, her voice still a whisper.

"I know," he replied as he swiftly drew his swords. "It's a trap." As soon as the words left his mouth, fire erupted in the room and the lanterns blazed brighter. The sudden flash of light blurred their vision but it soon dissipated along with the flames. And then the real threat was revealed to them. A menacing smile caught their eyes and together they took a fighting stance.

"Oh, Zuzu, is that any way to greet your sister?"

"Azula," Zuko said in an even tone as his eyes scanned the room. He took note of the army of guards lined up behind his sister but they were not what held his gaze. "Mai," Zuko drew out her name with a remorseful sigh.

"Hello, Zuko," Mai replied. Though her voice was flat, her eyes were filled with rage and the change did not go by Zuko unnoticed.

"Mai, I wanted to—"

"I don't need to hear it, Zuko. It's pretty clear which side you have chosen," Mai said, her enraged eyes meeting with Katara's in a glare.

"Yes, Mai, it is." Azula glanced over at her companion for a brief second before returning her watchful gaze to Zuko. "It's a shame, isn't it? You could have had it all, little brother, but instead you chose to side with the Avatar and his friends." Azula caught Katara's eye and her smile grew. "Pity, isn't it, Zuko? She doesn't even trust you. Just look at her. She'll never forgive you after what you did in Ba Sing Se. And yet here you are, trying to earn her respect. What a wasted effort. What makes you think she'll ever accept you? Father didn't and I doubt she will either."

"Enough, Azula! If you've come to stop us, then what are you waiting for?" Zuko yelled at her, refusing to let her insulting words break his spirit. Katara remained in position next to him, Azula's words seeming to have slipped right by her as well.

"You're always so quick to get to the point." Azula's grin faded into a straight line and she took a fighting stance but made no move to strike. Zuko was not going to be fooled. He kept his focus on her eyes, waiting impatiently for her attack. Likewise, Katara was trained on the passive knife thrower and ready for her advance.

As soon as Azula's lip curled into an eager smile, the battle began. She immediately spouted lighting from her fingertips and Zuko dodged it with ease as he took of in a sprint towards his vile sister. The blue fire blazed before him, but he slashed it away with his flaming swords, shooting off fire in return. Blast after blast crossed his path, but Zuko leapt over, around, and even through them. His eyes were set on hers and within seconds he was inches away from her. He cut his sword through the air but just as he'd predicted, she leapt out of the way, shooting off another blue flame in his direction. He flung himself around it and then started to chase after her yet again.

Meanwhile, Katara was busy defending herself against Mai's precise targeting. Using the water from her pouch, she guarded against the daggers as she too took off on a sprint towards her opponent. But like Azula, Mai evaded her advances, hoping to avoid Katara's freezing touch. While the battle raged, the guards remained rooted to their posts, awaiting the fight's inevitable end.

"Come now, Zuko. Why must we fight?" Azula mocked her brother as she continued to toss fire across his path. Zuko ignored her and kept advancing. As soon as he got close enough to her though, she leapt out of his way. "Face it, brother. You cannot win." A growl rose in his throat as he tried to push her cutting words aside. He ran for her once more, but she effortlessly avoided his attack. "It's no use. You'll both be imprisoned here, so why fight it?" Again Zuko advanced and again Azula jumped out of the line of fire. "Just give up now and face the facts." Zuko met her eyes and he watched as her mouth widened into a taunting grin. "You'll never find honor. Father hates you and so does the Avatar's little gang. So why even try? It's such a waste. They'll never accept you." Azula's voice became a whisper but one that Zuko could still hear. "And neither will _she_."

For a split second, Zuko lost his focus and he glanced over at Katara who was busy blocking Mai's attacks. Would she ever truly accept him as she said she would or was Azula right? Zuko suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot down his right arm and it caused him to fall back a step. Had Mai struck him with a dagger? He glanced over at his shoulder and saw a blade sticking out from beneath his robes. One quick glance at Azula, however, and he knew the knife had come from her hands. "If you think that a simple cut is going to stop me then you're–" Zuko abruptly fell to his knees and the room started to spin. He blinked and frantically shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness. What was this?

"Don't worry, Zuko," his sister said as she slowly walked over to his side. "It won't kill you." Azula knelt down beside him and whispered in his ear. "It was something Mai concocted just for you after you broke up with her. She was devastated, you know, but now she can have her revenge." Azula rose to her feet then and Zuko tried to grab a hold of his swords. She laughed at his wasted effort. His strength was gone and he could feel the darkness clouding around him. Though he tried to fight back, it soon claimed him, and within seconds his world went black.

"ZUKO!" Katara yelled his name upon seeing his form sprawled out on the floor. She hadn't seen what Azula had done to him and she didn't care. All she knew was that he needed her, so without a second thought, she ran for him.

"Guards! Seize her!" Azula ordered. Before Katara could even reach her fallen companion, a dozen guards had surrounded her and were now holding her back as the sadistic princess stood before her. "Don't worry, waterbender. He'll be fine, but as for you…" Without warning a knife was thrust into Katara's side and she cried out in agony. "Lock them away and leave them there to rot!" Azula was ordering her guards again but Katara paid no attention. The burning pain in her side was too great. What had Azula done to her?

Katara's vision began to blur as she was carried away. She caught a glimpse of Zuko being picked up by several guards but the image soon disappeared before her eyes. Everything became distorted, rapidly fading into nothingness. Even the throbbing in her side dimmed and it wasn't long before the darkness claimed her as it had Zuko. But before she completely shut down, a terrifying thought entered her mind. They would never escape. They would die in this prison. And she would never see her family again. Not her father. Not Sokka. Not Aang. Not even Zuko. Though her conscious mind was fading, her vision had never been clearer, for in that darkened moment she knew that it was the firebender who her heart would miss the most.

_

* * *

_

_Well, this chapter not only turned out longer than I had expected but it also took longer to write than I thought it would. There were a lot of unexpected things in this chapter. The Zutara parts were completely unplanned. They just sort of flowed. I like the first part better than the second. The second part of their talk still sits a little funny with me but I don't know how to make it better or change it. Oh well. It's pretty good. But what do you think? I tried to keep the romance as pulled back as possible. Don't want things to happen too fast, but still their relationship needs to grow in that direction so I had to start it somewhere._

_Either way, this chapter was definitely the most fun to write. I loved the Aang, Toph, Sokka, and Maliya section. That was the easiest part to write. I'm so happy with how it turned out. I thought I captured them pretty well. But what do you think?_

_I hate to leave you with TWO cliffhangers, but it can't be helped. =D I hope you enjoy fretting about it. Hehe. RESCUE will be coming soon so stay tuned!_

_**READ**__, __**REVIEW**__, & __**ENJOY**__!!!_

_AVidZktjo_


	5. Avatar: The Boiling Rock 5 Rescue PART1

_**Avatar the Last Airbender: The Boiling Rock (5) RESCUE** (1-3 of 9 Sections)**  
**_

_Written by Katie Jo aka AVidZktjo_

Taking down Ty Lee was as easy to do as it was to say. Having been trained in acrobatics and even the art of chi blocking, Maliya was just as skilled as Ty Lee but with one huge advantage. She was an airbender. Maliya caught up to her in no time, but instead of taking her down right away, she decided instead to follow her to a more open area so she wouldn't get trapped between crashing gates. And since the gang had only been a few trap doors down from the eastern guard tower entrance, she didn't have to wait long. Ty Lee sprinted down the expansive hallway leading to the eastern guard tower and Maliya immediately leapt over her head. Before Ty Lee could even skid to a stop, the airbender had circled around her, hitting all of her pressure points. With a shocked expression on her face, Ty Lee toppled to the floor in a twisted heap and Maliya stood triumphant over her.

Having never seen another airbender besides the Avatar, Ty Lee looked up at her worthy opponent and asked, "How did you do that?"

Maliya ignored her question and dropped down on her knees before the fallen acrobat. "Where are the Kyoshi Warriors?" she demanded.

"I – I don't know. The guards took them away while I stayed behind," Ty Lee easily replied. She was still in awe of her rival and wasn't thinking about who she was answering.

"How do I open the trap doors?"

"A key. But the warden has it. Please tell me, how did you—"

Maliya hit a pressure point in Ty Lee's neck, knocking her unconscious. She didn't have time to talk to the crafty acrobat. She had to free her newfound friends. And she had to avoid detection more than the rest of them. Ty Lee couldn't be told how she'd been taken down. Maliya had to keep her identity as an airbender as quiet as possible, especially now.

The lone airbender rose to her feet and faced the massive door blocking her path into the eastern guard tower. How was she to open it? She couldn't firebend. Maliya walked up to the door and inspected every nook and cranny for a trick lock or anything that would budge the oversized entrance. She even tried pulling it open but it was no use. She was as trapped as the rest of the gang. Maliya sighed and slid her back down the door, plopping onto the floor in a defeated slump. What was she to do now?

Looking back at the unconscious gymnast, a sudden thought occurred to her. Maliya began to wonder how the acrobat would have gotten through the door if she couldn't firebend. Maybe someone was waiting for her on the other side. But that thought didn't sound as comforting as it should have. What if it was Zuko's sister? What if it was a host of guards? But then what if it was only one guard? Anything was better than staying put, so Maliya thought she'd try the simplest thing one could do when faced with a door. Knock.

Hopping up on her feet, Maliya faced the door once more and rapped on the iron gate as loudly as she could. After striking the door with three solid knocks she stood back and waited for something to happen. Within seconds she could hear the sound of fire being blasted and she smiled victoriously. It was the combination being entered. They were opening the door. Maliya couldn't believe her luck. The massive entrance began to creek as it was slowly pulled open only a few inches. Maliya stood off to the side and hid in the shadows, waiting to see who would emerge. The creaking soon stopped and a young female guard about Maliya's height stepped out into the hallway. Perfect. There was only one of them. Before the guard could even grasp the situation, Maliya had taken her down with a quick blow to her neck. She fell unconscious just as Ty Lee had.

Peering around the cracked entrance, Maliya surveyed the cavernous room and was happy to discover that it was practically empty except for two guards near the exit several yards away. She thought that was a little odd, but she wasn't about to question her good luck. The two guards would be easy to take down. But before she sprinted towards them, a problem occurred to her. If she took them down, she'd still be trapped. She needed their help in opening the other door. Maliya looked down at the fallen guard at her feet. She was about the same height and close to the same size. Maybe if she posed as a guard, they would open the gate for her. It was worth a shot. Maliya quickly stripped the female guard of her armor and slipped it on over her clothes. As she took a step around the eastern guard tower entrance, she could only hope that she would be able to pull this off.

*******

The throbbing pain in his right arm slowly pulled Zuko out of unconsciousness. He briefly opened his eyes but all he saw was darkness. He blinked several times, trying to force himself awake but he couldn't even be sure if he _was_ awake. There was no light anywhere. He saw nothing. He tried moving his left arm and it was then that he realized he was sprawled out face-first on the ground. He brought his left hand near to his face and pushed on the cold metal underneath him, attempting to rise into a sitting position. But his strength was still depleted. He couldn't even rise. What had Azula done to him? What had Mai done to him?

Frustrated, Zuko tried moving his right arm, but a searing pain shot through him and he cried out in anger. A simple blade, that's all it had been. So why this lingering pain? It had to be the poison. But what exactly had Mai concocted? It burned like fire in his right arm and any small movement only made it worse. Where was Katara when he needed her? Katara! What had happened to her? The sudden thought caused him to panic and he inadvertently moved his wounded arm. He clenched his teeth as the fiery pain rushed through him again, burning deeper into his arm than before. When would the agony end?

Zuko's thoughts immediately turned to his devious sister and he was no longer clenching his teeth in pain. Anger and rage soon overtook him and it gave him new strength. Ignoring the scorching heat that raced up and down his arm, Zuko placed his right hand on the metal near his face and pushed with all his might. Slowly he rose to his knees. He looked ahead of him and saw a mat situated next to the back wall of what he could only guess was the cell he would spend the rest of his miserable life in. Using his left arm for support, he crawled over to the mat and sat down, resting his back against the wall. What little strength he had mustered to move quickly disappeared and the pain suddenly hit him full force.

Zuko once again clenched his teeth as the flames ripped through him. His head lay back against the solid wall and he looked up at the darkened ceiling of his cell. He tried to think on pleasanter things, but what pleasant thing could he possibly think on? There was nothing pleasant about the situation. He shouldn't have gone through the western guard tower. He should have known that his sister would be waiting for him. He shouldn't have lost that fight. He shouldn't have let Azula's words get to him. He should have stay focused. But how could he have when the prospect of the waterbender's forgiveness lay within his reach. It was all he'd wanted from her since Ba Sing Se and his intuitive sister had been clever enough to figure that out. She had known exactly where to strike him and it wasn't in his shoulder.

Another ripple of pain washed over him as he shifted his position and Zuko took a quick intake of breath through his grinding teeth. Azula. His wretch of a sister had to ruin everything good in his life. She'd manipulated him into betraying Uncle when he knew it was the wrong choice. And in the same foul sweep, he had deceived an unexpected friend, a friend he had been trying to win back since that treasonous act. And now he was paying for the consequences of both actions. Would nothing good ever happen in his life? Would he ever make the right decision?

But he _had_ made the right decision. He had walked away from his life in the Fire Nation to join with the Avatar in the fight against his father. He'd finally chosen the right path. Then why wasn't it paying off? Why was he still stuck in this rut, constantly running into trouble? Zuko banged his head against the wall in frustration. Would nothing ever turn out for him? Walking along the prison corridors with Katara had given him hope in that regard. He had thought that maybe, just maybe, something was going to finally turn out right for him. She had almost forgiven him. He just knew it. And yet, here he was, trapped, never to see her again. There was no hope. No possibility of escaping. And no chance that he'd ever behold his redemption mirrored in those brilliant blue eyes.

Shaking his head, Zuko tried to erase the images of the waterbender. The ache in his heart was becoming harder to bear than the fire in his arm. He would never see her again. And the sooner he came to grips with that, the sooner he could accept his hopeless situation. He knew this prison and he knew what would happen to him now that he had been captured. If he were lucky, food would come once a day. If he weren't lucky, maybe once a week. Either way he would slowly starve to death that is if he were imprisoned in the middle or the top section of the prison. If he were in the lowest part, however, he would bear much worse for there he would not only endure starvation but sheer torture. After all, it wasn't called the Boiling Rock because of the lake. Zuko shivered at the thought and another wave of pain struck him, causing his heart to tremble in fear.

This all had to be a part of Azula's design. Poison him. Torture him. Starve him. He wasn't surprised. He knew this was what he would get if he got caught. Too bad he actually had gotten caught. Dying in this prison was not how he'd wanted to end his life. But now it was his only comfort. Living behind these walls was worse than death itself. He'd heard the horror stories. After they had tried every way possible to escape with their skills, the prisoners would end up turning their bending against themselves. Firebenders would set their rags aflame and burn to death. Waterbenders would use the small amount of water they were rationed and make a frozen spike just big enough to puncture their hearts. And earthbenders who had tried using the dirt from the guards' boots to escape were soon turning the weapon against themselves in much the same way as the waterbenders.

For months, even years, they would use their bending to try and save themselves. Some of them would escape only long enough to be locked between two impenetrable trap doors. Others would never escape. Either way their hope would dwindle and they would begin looking for a means to end their torment. Zuko knew that the Boiling Rock prison was a torture chamber. For some it was physical pain that they experienced and for others it was a mind game that slowly drove them to insanity. It was not pretty. And Zuko was not looking forward to it. He only hoped he would die before his own thoughts turned to suicide.

Zuko shook the gruesome stories from his mind and looked over at his right shoulder for the first time. He wasn't surprised to see that the blade had been removed, but he _was_ surprised to see a bandage over the wound. So his sister didn't want him to die. Yet. He didn't know if he should be comforted at that thought or not. But it didn't matter. Zuko laid his head back against the wall again and closed his eyes. He tried to keep the horrific images from his mind but he found the only way he could do that was if he thought of Katara. And that was not something he wished to think on either. He could only hope that she was imprisoned further up and that she would receive better attendance than he would. It was the only hope he had though. Any hope for himself had been squashed the minute he'd seen Azula.

The Avatar! The sudden intrusion into his hopeless state made his heart skip a beat. Maybe Aang could – NO! That was as impossible as escaping his cell. He couldn't bring himself to even hope for that. The Avatar needed to escape no matter what the cost. He couldn't risk coming back for him and the waterbender. He just hoped that Aang would continue on when he and Katara didn't show up. If the kid came back for the two of them, Zuko would knock him out with a fire blast for his stupidity. And yet…NO! Zuko shook his head again, scattering the hopeful thoughts. It was hopeless. Just hopeless, he told himself as he tried to force his heart to accept the inevitable truth. There was no way of escaping and there was no one to rescue them. It was hopeless.

But in that instant Zuko's cell door opened and in walked a familiar face with a guard trailing behind. The shadowy figure quickly dispensed of him and then turned to face the imprisoned prince. "What are you doing here?" Zuko asked in a hoarse tone, scarcely able to believe his eyes.

With an aggravated look etched into her dull features, the familiar figure replied, "I've come to rescue you, you idiot." Staring up into Mai's dismal eyes, the captive prince couldn't help but be shocked, dumbfounded, and amazed at his unexpected rescuer.

*******

"Can it, Sokka! I've been trying and trying and _trying_ to get this stupid door to budge and I'm telling you it's not going ANYWHERE!!!"

"Well, maybe if you—"

"That's it!" Toph abruptly turned and stomped off towards Suki's cell.

"Where are you going!? The door's back this way!" Sokka reprimanded her.

"Anger is not going to solve anything, guys," Aang interjected but neither of them paid any attention.

"I'm gonna practice!" Toph furiously replied to Sokka.

"For what!? How is this going to help us?"

Toph turned around when she had reached the cell door and shouted back at him. "For when we get caught, Sokka, cuz the guards will throw us in one of these!" Toph forcefully threw her arm toward the cell, pointing inside the dreary room. "So I'm just gonna practice, okay!" Toph stomped into the cell block, plopped down on the mat, and yelled back out at them, "I'm through!"

Sokka started off towards the cell to yell at Toph some more but Aang quickly caught his attention. "Sokka," he said calmly. "Maybe you should try being a little gentler. She's doing the best she can."

"I am being gentle!" Sokka replied rather loudly. When he heard his raised voice, he sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Aang. We're all just a little stressed out at the moment."

"No kidding! We're stuck in this prison and you're only making it worse!" Toph yelled again.

"No, I'm no—" Sokka felt Aang's hand on his shoulder and he sighed again, trying to calm down. "Okay, fine, I'll try not to yell. It's just there's got to be a way out of here."

"Well, when you find one, Sokka, let me know cuz I'm not moving from this spot!" the angry earthbender retaliated as she crossed her arms and settled in on the uncomfortable mat.

Before Sokka could say another word, Aang stood in the doorway facing their heated friend and asked, "What do you propose we do, Toph?"

Hearing Aang's voice instead of Sokka's seemed to cool down some of her nerves and she replied in a quieter tone, "I don't know, Aang. I've tried everything! I've tried bending the door. I've tried bending the metal beside the door, under it, and even above it. It's no use. The firebending lock is everywhere. It's almost like the door was designed to be impenetrable by every type of bending."

"So you don't think you'll ever be able to get it open?" Sokka asked as he stepped up behind Aang.

Toph sighed angrily. "No, Sokka! That's what I've been trying to tell you! It's like the creator of this prison knew about every bending form, even the rare ones, and so he made the trap doors impossible to bend. Ask Aang. Firebending doesn't even work on the door. I bet he could try blasting fire at the thing and try to heat it up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it still didn't budge. I'm telling you! We're trapped here! And no amount of metalbending is going to help us escape."

"But, Toph, there must be a way," Sokka stated, his voice once again on an even level.

Toph shook her head. "There's no way we can bend that door. The only thing we can do is wait for the guards to come. We'll have to fight our way out of this prison, but it's our best shot."

Aang looked over at Sokka who was now standing next to him. The Avatar didn't have trouble reading his friend's thoughts for he was thinking the same thing. They couldn't fight off dozens of firebenders in such a confined space. It was an impossible battle to win. They would be surrounded in no time. Or worse. With Toph now relying only on her metalbending, they didn't stand a chance. The only one able to fight was Aang but how long could he last against so many masterful Fire Nation soldiers. No, they had to find another way out. It was their only option.

"Toph," Aang softly said the earthbender's name as he knelt down in front of her. "You know we can't wait around for them to come and get us. That's the worst thing we could do. What if they come for us and choose not to take us prisoner? They could burn us all alive and I'd be powerless to stop it."

"But, Aang, you're an airbender. Just blow them all away."

A smile appeared on the Avatar's lips but it quickly faded. "I wish I could, Toph. I may be able to hold them off for a little while but if there are too many…I can't stop their flames from reaching us."

Toph sat there quietly, letting Aang's words sink in. She knew he was right but she also knew that she couldn't bend that gate. It was impossible. She'd tried everything. But she guessed it couldn't hurt to keep trying. There had to be a weakness after all. Everything had a weakness.

But before she could open her mouth to speak, Katara's obnoxious, sarcastic brother had opened his. "You know, Aang, they might not even be coming for us." That wasn't what Toph had expected him to say.

"What do you mean, Sokka?" she heard Aang ask as he stood up.

"Think about it, Aang. Right now they've got you trapped, which means you can't defeat the Firelord. If they open the trap doors and try to capture us, there is a chance, however small, that we could escape."

"But, Sokka, we both know that's not possible. We'd never escape."

"Maybe not…and yet there's still that chance. Why run the risk? They've got you locked up already so why bother trying to throw you in a cell? They could just leave us here to die."

"That's great, Sokka. Take all our hope away," Toph said, rising to her feet.

"I'm trying to give us hope, Toph, not take it away."

Toph walked over to Sokka and stood before him, her finger jabbing into his chest. "Then tell me something, o wise one, how does that give us hope?"

While Sokka rubbed the sore spot Toph left behind, he replied, "Because you're both forgetting something."

"What?" Aang and Toph said in unison.

"Maliya."

Aang glanced over at Toph expecting her to look at him with the same puzzled expression that he wore, but then he remembered that she was blind, and he quickly returned his focus to Sokka.

"I still don't get it, Sokka," Toph said as she pushed past him to exit the cell block.

Sokka turned around to direct his reply towards Toph. "Don't you see? What if she could somehow follow Ty Lee back to the warden and steal the key? She could come back and free us!"

Aang was quick to latch onto the idea as a new hope rose within him. "Maybe you're right, Sokka!"

But Toph, ever the speaker of truth, was quick to shoot down the possibility. She just shook her head and returned to her work on the gate as she said, "You're both crazy! She's probably about as trapped as we are right now."

Both Aang's and Sokka's hope suddenly plummeted. Toph was probably right. And so Aang reluctantly took his post near the Fire Nation emblem and tried going through as many firebending combinations as he could think of. He'd already tried them all at least twice over, but still he continued to shoot fire at the emblem. There had to be a way to open this door. Toph worked beside him, her hands feeling along the metal, looking for a crack, a crevice, anything that would make the door move just an inch. They'd already tried everything they could think of, but Sokka was right. There had to be a way. And so they continued on in the same fashion. Aang tried firebending the lock. Toph tried metalbending the door. And Sokka just stood there, trying but failing to be their inspiring motivator. It was a hopeless situation and they all knew it. But at least they could be happy in the knowledge that Zuko and Katara had escaped the same fate.

* * *

_**So has anyone figured out how to get the fire-locked trap door open?** When I finally get to it, you'll probably bonk yourself on the head for not thinking of it. Or maybe you've already figured it out. Let me know what you think!_

_FYI THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETED RESCUE CHAPTER!!!_

_I've been sick for like a week and I haven't written anything past this yet, so instead of making you wait and wait and wait for me to complete this rather LONG chapter (trust me, it will be horribly and wonderfully LONG), I thought I'd post some of it now for you to enjoy and fret over. Hehe. Plus, I was wondering if any of you have thought of a way to open the fire-locked trap door. Well…have you? Leave a review and let me know your ideas. =D_

_This is only THREE sections of a chapter that will be NINE sections long. YUP! That's NINE SECTIONS!!! Which means I've got SIX to go! I'm already predicting that this will be my longest chapter and TRAPPED was already insanely long with over 10,000 words. This chapter will probably have that and more! But that's a good thing!_

_Anyway, I'm babbling again. Enjoy these three sections of RESCUE. More will be coming soon!_

_**READ**__, __**REVIEW**__, & __**ENJOY**__!!!_

_AVidZktjo_


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